There are many less-common conditions that can mimic osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, which may have different treatments.
Q: How do I know if I have arthritis? My left leg makes a slight cracking noise in my knee when I walk down the stairs, but no pain. However, when I go for a long drive, I limp when getting out of the car, which kind of goes away and does not hurt my knee. Long walks also bother me. When I went to a specialist, he said I needed therapy. I went to some sessions, but it did not help! When I told my doctor, he said, “Oh, that’s just arthritis.” Also, my family has no history of arthritis.
Exercise and physical therapy are first-line treatments for osteoarthritis but may take a while to start working. Many medications are also used. There is no specific treatment currently available that both lowers Lp and reduces risk; however, the usual treatments for high cholesterol, such as statins, ezetimibe and PCSK-9 inhibitors, do reduce the risk of a heart attack in people with high Lp levels. There are ongoing studies for new drugs in development, called antisense oligonucleotides, which greatly reduce Lp.
Q: I have low sodium levels running between 128 and 131 mEq/L for several years. I was on hydrochlorothiazide for many years, but I was taken off some time ago. My sodium remained low. I don’t feel like I drink an excess of water. Should I be concerned, and is there anything I can do to improve my numbers?A normal sodium level in the blood is between 135 and 145 mEq/L. You have a slightly low sodium level, which is common. There are many different causes.