- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- Acupuncture Cuts Dry Mouth in Cancer Patients
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- Fractures in Older Adults Up Death Risk
- Soccer's a Winner for Building Bone Health in Girls
- High Birth Weight Doubles Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- CANCER
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Wristbands May Lessen Nausea After Radiation
- Get to Know the Pap Test
- CAREGIVING
- Study Links Pesticides to Birth Defects
- Mild Flu Season Coming to a Close
- Rapid Infant Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Firefighters Have Narrower-Than-Normal Arteries, Study Finds
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- COSMETIC
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- DIABETES
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- Saliva Test Could Monitor Type 2 Diabetes
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
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- Omega-3 May Reduce Endometriosis Risk
- Is Coffee Good or Bad for Your Health?
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- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
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- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Vitamin D Deficit May Trigger MS Risk Gene
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Air Pollution May Cause Appendicitis: Study Reveals
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Brain Adapts to Age-Related Eye Disease
- Green Tea May Ward Off Eye Disease
- Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness
- FITNESS
- Meditation May Help Put Primary Insomnia to Bed
- Bursts of Vigorous Activity Appear to Be a 'Stress-Buffer'
- As Temperature Plummets, It's Still Safe to Exercise
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- Multivitamins Might Prolong Life
- Go To Work But Skip The Car
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Grapefruit Compound Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- KID'S HEALTH
- Backpack Safety Should Be on Back-to-School Lists
- Working Intensely Early on May Help Autistic Kids
- Heart Defects in Newborns Linked to Antidepressants
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Music Soothes Anxiety as Well as Massage Does
- Meditation, Yoga Might Switch Off Stress Genes
- Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
- PREGNANCY
- Exercise Boosts Bone Density in Breast-Feeding Moms
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- SENIORS
- As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
Herb Shows Potential for Rheumatoid Arthriti
By eHolistic.com Published: 08/19/2009
(HealthDay News) -- An ancient Chinese herbal remedy called "thunder god vine" helps reduce inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis, a new study shows.
The remedy is an extract of the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) -- known in China as "lei gong teng" -- and has been used for centuries to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases.
The study compared reduction in joint swelling among people with rheumatoid arthritis who took either the herb or an anti-inflammatory drug.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes chronic and painful inflammation of the joints that, over time, can lead to joint damage and loss of function.
The 121 participants in the study all had at least six swollen joints. One group took 60 milligrams of TwHF root extract three times a day, and the others 1 gram of sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), a prescription anti-inflammatory drug, twice a day.
After 24 weeks, about 65 percent of those taking the herbal extract showed at least a 20 percent improvement in their joints, based on American College of Rheumatology criteria, a standard measure of the effectiveness of arthritis treatments. About 33 percent of those taking sulfasalazine improved to that degree.
A report on the findings is published Aug. 18 in Annals of Internal Medicine.
"This study is a reminder of the potential importance of supplements and herbs in the management of arthritis," said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and chief executive of the Arthritis Foundation.
Even so, the study involved a relatively small number of people, Klippel noted. Clinical trials for pharmaceuticals typically involve many more participants studied over several years, he said.
"The findings are encouraging, but [TwHF] is not likely to be recommended by rheumatologists based on the findings of this one study alone," Klippel said.
And, though sulfasalazine used to be very popular as an arthritis treatment, the drug is not used that often today in the United States, according to Dr. Stephen Lindsey, head of rheumatology at Ochsner Health Systems in Baton Rouge, La.
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) is the drug most often used today, he said.
"I would be optimistic that an herbal medicine would play some role in improving rheumatoid arthritis," Lindsey said. But he added that he "would be a little bit wary since the medicine they compared it to is a fairly mild, anti-rheumatoid agent and not the standard drug used in the U.S."
Other alternative remedies, he said, have proven helpful for arthritis, including fish oil, though some of them have not held up to more rigorous studies.
Participants in the new study were allowed to continue taking oral prednisone or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but anyone who was taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (such as methotrexate), which slow the progression of the disease, had to stop taking them about a month before the study began.
Researchers did not see a statistically significant difference in joint damage on X-rays, Klippel said. But he said that probably was because six months wasn't long enough for noticeable changes.
The study also had a high dropout rate, with 62 percent of those taking TwHF and 41 percent of the others continuing to the end. According to the study, 17 people taking sulfasalzine and 8 taking TwHF dropped out because of adverse effects -- most often gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea.
Lindsey noted that people should always remember to tell their doctor if they are taking an herbal supplement.
"Just because something is herbal doesn't mean it's going to be cheap or safe," he said.
SOURCES: John H. Klippel, M.D., president and chief executive, Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta; Stephen Lindsey, M.D., head, rheumatology, Ochsner Health Systems, Baton Rouge, La.; Aug. 18, 2009, Annals of Internal Medicine Published on: August 19, 2009
