Diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis - A controlled double-blind study oftwo different dietary regimens

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a diet therapy in patients with rheum atoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Fifty RA patients entered a 24-week double-blind, randomised, cont rolled-study of two different dietary regimens (an experimental diet high i n unsaturated fats, low in saturated fats with hypoallergenic foods vs. a c ontrol well-balanced diet). The primary end points of the study were 20% an d 50% improvement in disease activity according to composite symptoms (Paul us index) of arthritis. Other end points were the other measures of disease activity at 12 and 24 weeks of diet treatment. Results: The 2 groups were comparable at inclusion. Diet treatment was well tolerated and the rate of drop-outs was low. Percentage of patients with g lobal 20 or 50% response didn't differ between experimental and control gro up after the 24-week of diet treatment. The experimental diet group did bet ter for all the variables considered but only four variables (Ritchie's ind ex, tender and swollen joints, and ESR) reached a statistical difference by multivariate analysis. Adjusting these data for weight variations, the num ber of tender joints (p=0.014) and ESR (p=0.025) were still statistically s ignificant. Conclusions: Dietary manipulation, either by modifying food supplements or by reducing weight, may give some clinical benefit although no significant improvement can be observed assessing the results with a composite index.