Medical Condition Rheumatoid Arthritis

Source:

2009 icd-9-cm diagnosis 714.0 - rheumatoid arthritis

Active Ingredients used for Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Bromelain, Dhea, Evening Primrose Oil, Ginger, Glucosamine, Omega 3 Fatty Acids Fish Oil Alpha Linolenic Acid, Pantothenic Acid Dexpanthenol, Selenium, Turmeric And Curcumin, Zinc

Active Ingredient	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
bromelain	there is not enough information to recommend for or against the use of bromelain in rheumatoid arthritis (ra).	c
dhea	preliminary evidence from a case series suggests that dhea likely offers no benefit to individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. well-designed clinical trials with appropriate endpoints are required before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
evening primrose oil (oenothera biennis l.)	benefits of evening primrose oil in the treatment of arthritis have not clearly been shown. more information is needed before a firm recommendation can be made.	c
ginger (zingiber officinale roscoe)	there is limited scientific evidence in this area, and it is not clear if ginger is beneficial.	c
glucosamine	early human research reports benefits of glucosamine in the treatment of joint pain and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis. in other research, glucosamine did not exert anti-rheumatic effects, but it did improve symptoms of the disease. however, this is early information, and additional research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn. the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can be complicated, and a qualified healthcare provider should follow patients with this disease.	c
omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid	many studies report improvements in morning stiffness and joint tenderness with the regular intake of fish oil supplements for up to three months. fish oil has been shown to increase the effects of anti-inflammatory medications, such as nsaids (such as ibuprofen). however, because of weaknesses in study designs and reporting, better research is needed before a strong favorable recommendation can be made.	b
pantothenic acid (vitamin b5), dexpanthenol	it has been reported that pantothenic acid levels are lower in the blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy individuals. however, it is not clear if this is a cause, effect, or a beneficial adaptive reaction. there is currently insufficient scientific evidence in this area in order to form a clear conclusion.	c
selenium (se)	selenium supplementation has been studied in rheumatoid arthritis patients with mixed results. additional research is necessary before a clear conclusion can be drawn.	c
selenium (se)	selenium-ace, a formulation containing selenium with three vitamins, has been promoted for the treatment of arthritis. research has failed to demonstrate significant benefits, with a possible excess of side effects compared to placebo.	d
turmeric (curcuma longa linn.) and curcumin	turmeric has been used historically to treat rheumatic conditions and based on animal research may reduce inflammation. reliable human studies are necessary before a recommendation can be made in this area.	c
zinc	most trials do not show significant improvements in arthritis symptoms following zinc treatment. interpretation of some data is difficult because patients in the studies were permitted to continue their previous arthritis medication and most studies used a small number of participants. well-designed clinical trials are needed before a decision can be made.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.