Arthritis
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores cheese's health impact, ergothioneine's longevity properties, sleep and joint supplements, and red light therapy in her latest Q&A.
In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala examines how different HIIT exercises influence bone growth and joint issues.
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Rhonda Sleep Omega-3 Magnesium MRSA Estrogen Calcium Sauna Saturated Fat Arthritis Berberine Supplements CocoaDr. Rhonda Patrick explores cheese's health impact, ergothioneine's longevity properties, sleep and joint supplements, and red light therapy in her latest Q&A.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala examines how different HIIT exercises influence bone growth and joint issues.
Topic Pages
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Red light therapy (photobiomodulation)
Red light photobiomodulation attenuates arthritic inflammation via cytochrome-c-oxidase activation, elevating mitochondrial ATP and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines.
News & Publications
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Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus—according to an umbrella review of 21 analyses. www.sciencedirect.com
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues, driving chronic inflammation and tissue damage. However, evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may benefit people with autoimmune diseases. A recent study found that omega-3s help reduce disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus but are less effective against other autoimmune disorders.
Researchers conducted an umbrella review to summarize findings from 21 systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of omega-3s on autoimmune diseases. They also used Mendelian randomization—a method that leverages genetic data to identify causal relationships—to explore further whether omega-3s directly influence the risk of developing autoimmune diseases.
They found that omega-3s were associated with reduced inflammation and disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. However, they found no clear evidence of omega-3s' effects on other autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, or Crohn’s disease. The quality of evidence varied, with one high-quality study and several moderate or low-quality studies.
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids benefit people with certain autoimmune disorders, but their effects vary across different conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids exert robust anti-inflammatory properties due to their formation of specialized pro-resolving molecules (SPMs), a broad class of metabolites that resolve inflammation. Learn more about SPMs in this clip featuring Dr. Bill Harris.
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Resistance exercise ameliorates pain and improves function by 25% to 30% among people with knee arthritis—according to a recent meta-analysis of 250 studies. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
When it comes to managing knee and hip arthritis, resistance exercise might be the ticket. A recent meta-analysis found that resistance exercise dramatically reduces pain and improves daily function in people with knee and hip arthritis.
Researchers analyzed data from randomized controlled trials comparing resistance exercise to other interventions, including no treatment, other forms of exercise, non-exercise interventions, or a combination of these. They examined the effects on pain and function and the relationship between increased leg strength and improved outcomes. They included 250 studies on knee arthritis and 15 on hip arthritis.
They found that patients who performed resistance exercises for knee arthritis were 25% to 30% more likely to experience improvements in pain and function than those receiving no treatment. Additionally, greater strength gains in the legs were linked to better pain relief and functional outcomes. They noted moderate benefits for hip arthritis, but in some cases, non-exercise interventions performed better than resistance exercise alone.
These findings suggest that resistance exercise benefits people with knee arthritis, particularly in reducing pain and improving mobility. However, combining treatments may be more effective for hip arthritis than exercise alone. One form of therapy that may help reduce the inflammation that drives arthritis is cold exposure. Learn more in our overview article.
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Low testosterone levels may herald rheumatoid arthritis in men. (2013) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Sex hormones are thought to play a part in the development of rheumatoid arthritis, and both men and women with the condition tend to have lower levels of testosterone in their blood than healthy people. But it is not clear whether this is a contributory factor or a consequence of the disease.
The researchers based their findings on participants of the Swedish Malmo Preventive Medicine Program (MPMP), which began in 1974 and tracked the health of more than 33,000 people born between 1921 and 1949.
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After taking account of smoking and body mass index, both of which can affect the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, **men with lower levels of testosterone in their blood samples were more likely to develop the disease.
This was **statistically significant for those who tested negative for rheumatoid factor when they were diagnosed.
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Low testosterone levels may be associated with chronic disease, even in men 40 years of age and younger. (2018) www.sciencedaily.comHormones Diabetes Cholesterol Depression Testosterone Triglycerides Blood Pressure Arthritis Cardiovascular
From the aricle:
Peterson and team then examined prevalence of nine chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, pulmonary disease, high triglycerides, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and clinical depression.
The researchers studied the prevalence of multimorbidity, or when two or more of the chronic conditions were present, among three age groups (young, middle-aged and older men) with and without testosterone deficiency. They found that low total testosterone [<300 ng/dL] was associated with multimorbidity in all age groups – but it was more prevalent among young and older men with testosterone deficiency.
“We also found a large dose-response relationship between the age-specific low total testosterone and moderate total testosterone levels and multimorbidity, even after adjusting for obesity and muscle strength capacity,” Peterson says. “Which means that men should be concerned about declining total testosterone, even if it has not reached a level to warrant a clinical diagnosis (<300 ng/dL [10.4 nmol/L]).”
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Beta-hydroxybutyrate produced from a ketogenic diet may improve gout symptoms (animal study) www.sciencedaily.com
Beta-hydroxybutyrate reduces symptoms of gout.
Gout is a painful, debilitating disease that affects more than 8 million people living in the United States. The condition arises when uric acid crystals form in and around the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and impaired mobility. Evidence from a 2017 study suggests that beta-hydroxybutyrate inhibits the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome, reducing symptoms of gout.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate is a type of ketone body. It forms in the liver via the breakdown of fatty acids and can be used to produce energy in the mitochondria. Beta-hydroxybutyrate also acts as a signaling molecule that alters gene expression via a wide range of molecular pathways. Ketogenic diets induce beta-hydroxybutyrate production.
Inflammasomes are large, intracellular complexes that detect and respond to internal and external threats. Activation of inflammasomes has been implicated in a host of inflammatory disorders. The NLRP3 inflammasome, in particular, triggers the release of the proinflammatory proteins interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-18 and drives pyroptosis, a form of cell death that is triggered by proinflammatory signals and closely linked with inflammation.
The study involved rats that are prone to developing gout. The investigators fed one group of the rats a normal diet and fed another group a ketogenic diet. After one week, they measured ketones present in the animals' urine. They found that the ketogenic diet induced production of beta-hydroxybutyrate, which in turn protected the animals against uric acid-induced elevations in IL-1 beta. Examination of the animals' joints revealed that the rats that ate the ketogenic diet had less joint inflammation than those fed a normal diet.
Next, the investigators assessed the effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on neutrophils, a type of immune cell, from both young and old humans. They found that the compound inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome-induced IL-1 beta secretion in both young and old neutrophils, suggesting that the ketone plays a role in activating the inflammasome in neutrophils, regardless of age.
These findings suggest that beta-hydroxybutyrate inhibits the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome, reducing the symptoms of gout. Researchers do not know if these results translate to humans, however. Learn more about the health effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate in our overview article.
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Garlic alleviates symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by pain, swelling, and loss of function in the joints. The condition affects as many as 2 percent of people worldwide and is two to three times more common in women than in men. Findings from a new study demonstrate that garlic alleviates clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Garlic is a bulbous plant used in cooking and traditional medicine practices. It exerts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The primary bioactive compound in garlic, allicin, is widely recognized for its capacity to lower blood pressure, prevent atherosclerosis, reduce serum cholesterol and triglycerides, inhibit platelet aggregation, and increase fibrinolytic activity (breaking down blood clots).
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 70 women (average age, 51 years) who had rheumatoid arthritis. Half of the women took 1,000 milligrams of garlic daily for eight weeks, and the other half took a placebo. The authors assessed the women’s clinical symptoms, fatigue, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined.
At the end of the study, the women who took garlic showed marked improvements in their clinical symptoms, pain intensity, tender joint count, and fatigue, and their serum levels of CRP and TNF-alpha decreased. Their swollen joint count decreased as well, but not in the placebo group.
These findings demonstrate that garlic improves clinical symptoms and modulates inflammatory markers associated with rheumatoid arthritis and may be useful as an adjunct therapy in treating the condition.
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An open-label pilot trial found that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. mediterranee-infection.com
A number of randomized controlled trials are currently underway investigating various antiviral therapies for the treatment of COVID-19. Findings from a very small open-label study recently published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Agents found that hydroxychloroquine decreased viral nasopharyngeal levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus in COVID-19 patients in only three to six days in most patients.
Hydroxychloroquine is a common antimalarial drug that is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In 2017, it was the 128th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than five million prescriptions. It is relatively safe with a few side effects. This Wikipedia article provides an overview of hydroxychloroquine.
In vitro studies in 2004 and 2005 showed that hydroxychloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV, the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. A later study found that hydroxychloroquine improved survival rates in newborn mice infected with a related coronavirus.
The current study involved 32 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were administered 600 milligrams of hydroxychloroquine daily for six days. Some patients also received the antibiotic azithromycin. Nasopharyngeal samples taken on day six of treatment indicated that 70 percent of the hydroxychloroquine-treated patients had cleared the virus compared with 12.5 percent in the group receiving standard of care. All of the patients who received both the antibiotic azithromycin and the hydroxychloroquine cleared the virus from nasopharyngeal samples.
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that has been shown to have antiviral activity against some viruses like Ebola in animal studies. The safety profile of taking both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin needs to be determined.
In addition, randomized-controlled trials need to confirm whether these therapeutics are effective for the treatment of COVID-19. Large randomized-controlled trials are underway in China and the US. You can read more about those trials here.