Food & Drink
Mediterranean diet does not prevent rheumatoid arthritis says large study
Following the Mediterranean diet does not seem to prevent rheumatoid arthritis, says an analysis of a large sample of women.
The Mediterranean diet is believed to have many benefits, including lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer and lower death rates from cardiovascular disease.
And some studies have suggested that certain components of the diet, such as fish and olive oil, could be linked to reduction in risk of rheumatoid arthritis. So to explore the relationship further, experts looked at two large studies of nearly 175,000 nurses. Continue reading
Smokers who eat too much salt have twice the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
The interaction between high salt intake and smoking is associated with a more than doubled risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, says new research published in Rheumatology.
The research team looked at data from 386 people who had outlined their dietary habits before they developed rheumatoid arthritis. The average time from when they gave their information to the onset of symptoms was 7.7 years. They were compared with 1,886 matched controls. Continue reading
Lack of vitamin D could lead to increased heart disease risk in people with lupus
People with lupus who have vitamin D deficiency could be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events, says research published in Arthritis Care & Research.
US scientists looked at data from 890 people with systemic lupus erythematosus and investigated their vitamin D levels, demographic data, disease activity, treatment choices and cardiovascular outcomes. Continue reading
Higher body mass index may mean less rheumatoid arthritis progression
People with high body masses tend to see a reduced rate of disease progression when affected by rheumatoid arthritis, highlights research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
A total of 1,068 people with rheumatoid arthritis involved in clinical trials of a drug called golimumab had radiograph scans at the start of the study and then after 52 weeks and 104 weeks of treatment. MRI scans of the wrist and hand were obtained at regular intervals. Continue reading
Vitamin D levels and bone mass in rheumatoid arthritis
Previous evidence suggests an association between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. We also know that people with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for osteoporosis. So a team of experts looked at levels of vitamin D in the blood, bone mineral density and disease activity in 34 women, who they compared to 41 healthy women.
They found that women with rheumatoid arthritis had lower levels of vitamin D than the healthy women, and report their findings in Rheumatology International. Continue reading
