April 13, 2010

Lower rheumatoid arthritis rates linked to vitamin D

Findings reported in an article published online on March 25, 2010 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggest that increased vitamin D from sunlight exposure could have a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune disease with unknown causes.

For the current investigation, Boston University School of Public Health associate professor of environmental health Verónica Vieira, MS, DSc and her colleagues analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study, which enrolled female nurses in the United States beginning in 1976. Four hundred sixty-one participants diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis between 1988 and 2002 were compared to 9,220 control subjects who did not have the disease. The researchers examined the association between rheumatoid arthritis risk and residential address as ascertained from questionnaires completed every two years from 1988 to 2002.

The team found a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis among women living in the northeastern United States, suggesting that less sunlight exposure, and, consequently, decreased vitamin D production, could be a factor in the development of the disease. A slightly greater risk was found for higher latitude residence in 1988 compared with the time of diagnosis, suggesting that long term exposure could be more important than recent exposure.

"There's higher risk in the northern latitudes," Dr Vieira stated. "This might be related to the fact that there's less sunlight in these areas, which results in a vitamin D deficiency."

"The results were unexpected," she added. "Prior to the analysis, we were more interested in the relationship with air pollution. I hadn't given latitudes much thought."

"A geographic association with northern latitudes has also been observed for multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease, other autoimmune diseases that may be mediated by reduced vitamin D from decreased solar exposure and the immune effects of vitamin D deficiency," the authors write in their discussion of the findings. "Further analysis that examines the relationship between vitamin D exposure and rheumatoid arthritis is warranted to explore these results."

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a degenerative autoimmune disease in which the joints are attacked by an abnormal immune response and slowly destroyed. RA is much less common than osteoarthritis (OA), occurring in about 1 percent of the population and affecting women two to three times more frequently than men. The first symptoms typically appear between the ages of 25 and 50, although it can occur at any age, even childhood (juvenile RA). Unlike OA, RA is a systemic disease. It can affect organ systems throughout the body, not just the joints. Problems associated with RA include inflamed blood vessels, heart attack, neuropathy, lung complications, and others.

As with any disease, it is important to regularly track your progress and begin treatment early. People who suffer from arthritis should consider a cytokine profile and C-reactive protein blood test to measure the levels of inflammation throughout their body. These initial measurements provide a baseline for tracking disease therapy.

The following may help provide nutritional support to rheumatoid arthritis patients:

• EPA and DHA—2100 milligrams (mg) EPA and 1500 mg DHA daily
• GLA—900 to 1800 mg daily
• Boswellic acid—300 mg daily
• Curcumin—900 mg daily, with 5 mg Bioperine® piperine
• Ginger—60 mg daily
• Bioflavonoids, including nobiletin—300 mg daily
• Nettle leaf extract—375 to 500 mg daily
• SAMe—400 to 1200 mg daily
• Glucosamine—500 mg daily
• Green tea extract—725 mg green tea powder daily, yielding at least 246 mg of EGCG
• Vitamin C—1 to 3 grams (g) daily
• Vitamin E—400 international units (IU) daily (with at least 200 mg gamma-tocopherol)
• N-acetylcysteine—600 mg daily
• DHEA—15 to 75 mg daily, with blood testing after 3 to 6 weeks to determine optimal levels

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Life Extension Update

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