Evaluating the relationship between dietary intake with inflammatory factors, lipid profile and clinical symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common life-threatening and associated with inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between dietary intake, inflammatory factors, lipid profile, medication and clinical outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This cross-sectional study were conducted in 72 patients with RA that referred to Rheumatology Clinic, Urmia, Iran. After describing the study and obtaining patient consent, fasting blood samples were collected from all participants in start stage, Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-KB), Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), lipid profile and clinical symptoms were record in participants. Also, Data on dietary intake and physical activity were collected with relevant questionnaires.

There was a positive significant relation between energy intakes and low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) (R = 0.855, P = 0.023), carbohydrate intake with total cholesterol (R = 0.297, P = 0.045), carbohydrate intake and NF-kB (R = 0.292, P = 0.017), fat intakes and Ox-LDL (R = 0.321, P = 0.027), prednisolone and Triglyceride (TG) (R = 0.378, P = 0.016), calcium supplement, folic acid and High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) (R = 0.259, R = 0.34, R = 0.355, P = 0.09 respectively). In addition, the correlation between carbohydrate and energy intakes with HDL-C were negative significant (R = -0.355, P = 0.09 and R = -0.259, P = 0.034). SJC, Tender Joint Count (TJC), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and VAS were related to DAS28 and other variables shown no relation with DAS28.

There are many factors affecting the clinical symptoms of patients with RA that attention to nutritional and medicinal factors can have a significant role in the clinical symptoms and complications of these patients.