Pomegranates are put to the test for weight loss, diabetes, COPD, prostate cancer, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Pomegranate: A Natural Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Risk score predicts disease progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Scientists have created a risk score based on thousands of genetic variants to determine the prognosis of individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
In a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, the risk score that was constructed of 43,784 genetic variants significantly differed between patients with severe and non-severe arthritis progression.
“Our study reveals that genetic profiling in… rheumatic diseases has potential applications in precision medicine, which should be validated and improved in future studies,” the authors wrote.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus – ‘Off target’ metabolic effects of anti-inflammatory drugs used for autoimmune disorders needs better treatment strategy
New therapies for autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) that are designed to better regulate lipid (fat) metabolism, could significantly reduce the harmful side-effects caused by conventional treatments, finds a new large-scale review led by UCL researchers.
AIRDs affect millions globally and include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome – all with high rates of morbidity. They occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages its own tissues, though the pathogenesis (the mechanism which triggers this) is still ill-defined and delivering targeted therapeutic strategies is challenging.
As a result, current treatments for AIRDs are primarily designed to supress the symptoms (inflammation), but are ‘low target’ meaning the drugs may also have unintended side-effects. In this regard, AIRDs drugs often cause changes to cell metabolism (such as lipid metabolism) and function, putting patients at greater risk of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Lead author Dr George Robinson (Centre for Rheumatology Research, UCL Division of Medicine) said: “While the mechanisms that cause rheumatic diseases are ill-defined, some recent research indicates cell metabolism may play an important role in triggering or worsening their onset or affect.
“In this review we therefore sought to understand the effect of both conventional and emerging therapies on lipid metabolism in patients with AIRDs.”
For the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers carried out a literature review of more than 200 studies, to assess and interpret what is known regarding the on-target/off-target (adverse) effects and mechanisms of action of current AIRD therapies on lipid metabolism, immune cell function and CVD risk.
Explaining the findings, Dr Robinson said: “Our review found that current AIRD therapies can both improve or worsen lipid metabolism, and either of these changes could cause inflammation and increased CVD risk.
“Many conventional drugs also require cell metabolism for their conversion into therapeutically beneficial products; however drug metabolism often involves the additional formation of toxic by-products, and rates of drug metabolism can be different between patients.”
The review noted that better control of inflammation using optimal combinations of immunosuppressive treatments, could lead to an improved metabolic/lipid profile in AIRDs.
However, it also revealed many studies have shown that lipid lowering drugs (such as statins) are not sufficient to reduce CVD risk in some AIRDs, potentially because they cannot completely restore the anti-inflammatory properties
Dr Robinson added: “The unfavourable off-target adverse effects of current therapies used to treat AIRDs provides an opportunity for optimal combination co-therapies targeting lipid metabolism that could reduce immune complications and potential increased CVD risk in patients.
“New therapeutic technologies and research have also highlighted alternative metabolic pathways that can be more specifically targeted to reduce inflammation but also to prevent undesirable off-target metabolic consequences of conventional anti-inflammatory therapies.”
Rheumatoid Arthritis – 10 Tips for Living Well with RA
A diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis does not mean you can’t live a healthy and normal life. These 10 tips for living well will help you cope with the disease while thriving in your daily activities.
1. Take Charge: Keep an open dialogue with your doctor and family or friends who are helping you to ensure that your needs are heard.
2. Take Care of Yourself: Get plenty of rest and keep a healthy diet. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish are great for RA patients. Check with your doctor before beginning an Omega 3 regimen.
3. Get Exercise: Exercising regularly can help to reduce the pain and swelling associated with RA. Start gradually by stretching, then eventually add strength training and aerobic exercise. Avoid high-intensity exercises such as running or downhill skiing. Always talk to your doctor about starting a new exercise regimen.
4. Monitor the Temperature: Cold, damp weather amplifies symptoms in many RA patients. It’s important to adjust your thermostat to a comfortable, warmer temperature when the weather outside is cool. On very hot days, be sure to drink plenty of cold water and non-caffeinated beverages before you get thirsty.
5. Quit Smoking: Smoking greatly increases the inflammatory process in the body. As RA causes inflammation in many parts of the body, you do not want to intensify symptoms of swelling with smoking. The #1 cause of premature death for those with RA is heart attacks, which are more likely to occur in smokers.
6. Seek the Sun: Try to get 5-10 minutes of sunlight at least 3 times a week. Vitamin D from sunlight can fight against pain, swelling, and flu-like symptoms of RA.
7. Relax: Take a break when you begin to feel stressed, as stress can aggravate your RA. A glass of water, short walk to stretch your legs, breathing techniques, and practicing Tai Chi can be helpful in stressful situations.
8. Sit Up Straight: Posture training, such as the Alexander Technique, can greatly reduce strain on your joints and muscles to help avoid injury from excessive slouching.
9. Soothe Your Pain with Cold or Heat: Ice packs and heating pads on achy joints and muscles can help alleviate symptoms of pain.
10. Make Sure Your Immunizations are Up to Date: RA patients need to have all of their vaccines, especially flu shots, to avoid illness. The nature of RA and medications such as DMARDs reduce immunity, leaving patients with a higher susceptibility to infections.
Do What You Can: Lastly, do what you can. While RA may deter you from traveling over an extended period of time, try to get out as much as possible and enjoy what life has to offer in close proximity to you. Following these tips will help you to lead a happy and healthier life with RA.
Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis by Dr. Humeira Badsha
Here’s something very true today about what a sensible diet can do for painful Rheumatoid Arthritis