Study: Chinese Herbal Remedy May Help With Rheumatoid Arthritis

An extract of the Chinese herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF) may alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers reporting in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

TWHF has been used for centuries in China to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and earlier animal studies have shown that TWHF extracts have anti- inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects similar to those of prednisone.

Dr. Xuelian Tao of the National Institutes of Health said he and his colleagues gave a small number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis either a low dose or high dose of TWHF, or a placebo, daily for 20 weeks.

He reported that of patients who completed the trial, 8 given the high dose of TWHF and 4 given the low dose experienced more than a 20 percent improvement in arthritis symptoms, while none of the patients given a placebo experienced a comparable improvement.

Other sources: National Institutes of Health, Arthritis & Rheumatism