Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory joint disease and a major cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality. It occurs worldwide, affecting approximately one per cent of adults. About 2 million Americans and 400,000 Britons have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease caused when the body confuses healthy tissue for foreign substances and attacks itself.
   The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis isn't known, but many different factors, including genetic predisposition, may influence the autoimmune reaction. This disease develops in about 1 percent of the population, affecting women two to three times more often than men. Usually, rheumatoid arthritis first appears between 25 and 50 years of age, but it may occur at any age. In some people, the disease resolves spontaneously, and treatment relieves symptoms in three out of four people; however, at least 1 out of 10 people eventually becomes disabled.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis can produce a variety of symptoms throughout the body. Rheumatoid arthritis may be accompanied by fatigue, weight loss, anxiety, and depression. This autoimmune disease causes joints, usually those of the hands and feet, to be symmetrically inflamed, resulting in swelling, pain, and often the eventual destruction of the joint's interior.

An autoimmune disease
In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the tissue that lines and cushions joints (certain immune cells, perhaps mast cells, attack the carbohydrate molecules, known as glycosaminoglycans, in the joints). Eventually, the cartilage, bone, and ligaments of the joint erode, causing scars to form within the joint. The joints deteriorate at a highly variable rate.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Treatment ranges from simple, conservative measures such as rest and adequate nutrition to drugs and surgery. Treatment starts with the least aggressive measures, moving to more aggressive ones if needed. A basic principle of treatment is to rest the affected joints, because using them aggravates the inflammation. Regular rest periods often help relieve pain, and sometimes a short period of total bed rest helps relieve a severe flare-up in its most active, painful stage. Splints can be used to immobilize and rest one or several joints, but some systematic movement of the joints is needed to prevent stiffening. Primary treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is directed at controlling pain and improving joint function. They include physical therapy, exercise and medication.

Rheumatoid arthritis diet
A regular, healthy diet is generally appropriate. Some people have flare-ups after eating certain foods. A diet rich in fish minor beneficial effects on the inflammation.

The main categories of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), slow-acting drugs, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive drugs. Generally, the stronger the drug, the more severe its potential side effects, so that closer monitoring is needed.

Cat’s claw a small study showed a reduction in pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients give Cat's claw extract.
Green tea extract may be helpful. For more green tea extract information.
Folic acid (see below)
Stop smoking
Guggul extract may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Curcumin turmeric could be helpful

Curcumin and rheumatoid arthritis
Curcumin induces apoptosis and inhibits prostaglandin E(2) production in synovial fibroblasts of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Int J Mol Med. 2007 Sep;20(3):365-72. Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Oriental Medicine, Busan 614-052, Korea.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by hyperplasia of the synovial fibroblasts, which is partly the result of decreased apoptosis. This study investigated the mechanisms through which curcumin exerts its anti-proliferative action in the synovial fibroblasts obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Exposure of the synovial fibroblasts to curcumin resulted in growth inhibition and the induction of apoptosis. Treating the cells with curcumin resulted in the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and the X-linked inhibitor of the apoptosis protein as well as the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Curcumin -induced apoptosis was also associated with the proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and the concomitant degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. Furthermore, curcumin decreased the expression levels of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA and protein without causing significant changes in the COX-1 levels, which was correlated with the inhibition of prostaglandin E(2) synthesis.

Fat and rheumatoid arthritis
An unfavorable ratio of blood fats could herald the development of the inflammatory joint disease rheumatoid arthritis up to 10 years later. Researchers analysed the fat content of 1078 deep frozen blood samples from 79 people who had given blood between 1984 and 1999 and subsequently went on to develop rheumatoid arthritis 10 or more years later. In particular, they looked at levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein ('good' cholesterol), triglycerides, apolipoproteins A and B, and lipoprotein (a). The samples were then compared with those taken from 1071 randomly selected blood donors, matched for age, sex, and storage time. They found that the samples of people who subsequently developed rheumatoid arthritis had a more unfavorable balance of circulating blood fats than the samples of those who did not develop the disease. On average, total cholesterol was 4% higher, while high density lipoprotein levels were 9% lower. Triglycerides were 17% higher and apolipoprotein B was 6% higher. Taken together, these figures also indicate an increased risk of ischemic heart disease, in which the artery walls are thickened and hardened by fat deposits. This might help to explain the link between an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, say the authors. And they speculate that a poorer blood fat ratio might make a person more susceptible to inflammation or inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Lipids and inflammation: serial measurements of the lipid profile of blood donors who later developed rheumatoid arthritis. British Medical Journal.

Switching from a typical western diet to a traditional Mediterranean (MD) diet reduces pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis within 12 weeks, Swedish researchers report in the March issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. Dr. L. Hagfors, of Umeå University, and associates designed a diet plan characterized by a high consumption of fruit, vegetables, cereals and legumes. This diet also contains less red meat and more fish than usually consumed by westerners. The investigators slightly modified the diet by permitting patients to use canola oil in addition to olive oil and by substituting green or black tea for wine, both of which are high in polyphenols. Twenty-six patients were randomly assigned the new diet, while 25 patients served as controls. Disease duration was at least 2 years and disease activity score 28 (DAS28) ranged between 2.19 and 7.00 of a possible 10. After 3 weeks, results for the two groups did not differ. By the end of the 12-week study period, however, MD diet subjects showed significant improvements in three of four primary efficacy variables. DAS28 dropped on average by 0.56, Health Assessment Questionnaire had declined, and the vitality and mental health dimension of the SF-36 Health Survey had improved. Only the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory use was unaffected. Furthermore, the number of swollen and tender joints and pain scores significantly decreased, as did C reactive protein levels and thrombocyte counts. In contrast, the overall findings remained stable during the course of the trial among patients in the control group. "Even a minor effect that is persistent and accumulates over time might become important," Dr. Hagfors' team points out. The group intends to conduct a 1-year follow-up study.

Rheumatoid arthritis remission less likely in women
Women with rheumatoid arthritis are much less likely than men to experience remission. Swedish researchers tracked nearly 700 adults, average age 58, who had had rheumatoid arthritis for about six months at the start of the study. Two-thirds of the patients were women. At two years, rheumatoid arthritis was in remission in 40 percent of the patients. At five years, 38 percent of the patients were in remission. However, only 20 percent were in remission at both two and five years. At two years, 48 percent of men and 32 percent of women were in remission. At five years, 52 percent of men and 31 percent of women were in remission. At both time points, men were more than twice as likely as women to be in remission, the study said. Initially, the women in the study did not have more severe rheumatoid arthritis than men. However, the disease quickly became more severe and progressed more rapidly in the women than in the men, according to the research team from University Hospital Lund. The discrepancy in female/male remission rates could not be explained by age, drug treatment, or how long a patient had rheumatoid arthritis.
   Rheumatoid arthritis can last for a few weeks to months, or it can last a lifetime.

Symptom rheumatoid arthritis
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include pain in the wrists, fingers, or knees, and it may cause people to limp. Joints may become stiff and swollen, and a rash may emerge. Another common symptom is a fever that is suddenly very high at night but quickly goes away.

Complications of rheumatoid arthritis treatment - shingles
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of herpes zoster, or shingles, a painful skin condition caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis increases vulnerability to shingles since they interfere with the immune system.

People with rheumatoid arthritis have a much higher risk of suffering heart attacks or strokes. The risk is comparable to that associated with type 2 diabetes, which is already an established cardiovascular risk factor.

Rheumatoid arthritis emails
Q. Does acupuncture help reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
   A. In the long run acupuncture does not have a major influence on rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Q. Would Wobenzym help rheumatoid arthritis?
   A. We have not seen any such studies.

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