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Dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis
Kåre Birger Hagen1, Marte Gjeitung Byfuglien, Louise Falzon
1National Resource Centre for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, PO Box 23 Vindern, 0319 Oslo, Norway. k.b.hagen@medisin.uio.no
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|January 23, 2009
Summary
Dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis show uncertain effects on pain and function. Higher drop-out rates and weight loss suggest potential adverse effects that warrant consideration.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Nutrition Science
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management involves exploring various dietary regimes.
- Patients and healthcare providers seek information on the benefits and harms of these diets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) up to January 2008.
- Exclusion of dietary supplement studies, including fish oil.
- Independent selection, validity assessment, and data extraction by two authors.
Main Results:
- Fifteen trials (14 RCTs, 1 CCT) with 837 patients were included.
- Heterogeneity and risk of bias limited overall effect calculations.
- Some evidence suggests vegetarian and Mediterranean diets may reduce pain, but not function or stiffness.
- Elemental diets showed no significant difference in pain, function, or stiffness.
- Higher drop-out rates (10%) and weight loss (3.23 kg) were observed in dietary intervention groups.
Conclusions:
- The effectiveness of dietary manipulation in rheumatoid arthritis remains uncertain due to small, biased studies.
- Potential adverse effects, indicated by higher drop-out rates and weight loss, should be considered.
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