A news item on Time magazine's website reveals a link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and heart disease. The link seems obvious when one thinks about it, since both are inflammatory diseases, but this is the first time I've read any research supporting the link.
The Mayo Clinic study looked at "75 rheumatoid arthritis patients recently diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, and then assembled a control group of 128 cardiovascular patients matched with the first group by sex, age and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, but free of rheumatoid arthritis. A comparison of the two groups’ coronary angiograms (specialized X-ray scans used to diagnose blocked coronary arteries) found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis also had more clogging of the arteries at the time of their initial diagnosis with heart disease than those without. Equally alarming, the Mayo team calculated that the rheumatoid arthritis group had twice the risk of dying from cardiac disease as the control group."
To read the whole article, click here.
For a long time, alternative health advocates have promoted fish oil as part of a treatment plan for those suffering from RA. One of the many benefits offered by fish oil is a reduction of risk for heart disease due to its ability to reduce cholesterol and arterial plaque. Fish oil is also a first class anti-inflammatory, with none of the side effects of pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories.
Before adding fish oil to your treatment plan for RA, please talk to your doctor. The recommended dose of fish oil for anti-inflammatory effect is between 6 and 24 capsules (1000 milligrams each) a day, taken in divided doses with meals.
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