Positive Health Online

Abstract

MUR and colleagues, Department of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck University Hospital, Austria, erich.mur@uibk.ac.at, conducted a randomized, double-blinded trial of an extract from Uncaria tomentosa for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis .

Background

Methodology

Randomized two-phase study involving 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on sulfasalazine or hydroxy-chloroquine treatment. In phase 1 (24 weeks, double-blinded, placebo controlled), patients were treated with either an extract from the pentacyclic chemotype of U. tomentosa or with placebo . In phase 2 (28 weeks), all patients received the plant extract . The number of painful joints and the number of swollen joints were assessed before treatment, at 24 weeks, and after treatment .

Results

At 24 weeks, the number of painful joints was decreased to 45 % in the treatment group compared to placebo (p = 0.044). The patients who received the plant extract only in the second phase of the trial experienced a reduction in the number of painful joints (p = 0.003) and in the number of swollen joints (p = 0.004) compared to baseline . Only minor side effects were observed.

Conclusion

This preliminary study demonstrates relative safety and modest benefit of a highly purified extract from the pentacyclic chemotype of U. tomentosa in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis .

References

Mur E, Hartig F, Eibl G, Schirmer M. Randomized double blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic chemotype of Uncaria tomentosa for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The Journal of Rheumatology 29 (4): 678—681, Apr 2002.