The Effect of Curcumin Supplementation on Clinical Factors in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to progressive joint damage, pain and loss of function, which has no known therapy so far. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with curcumin piperine (a highly soluble form of curcumin) on the clinical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: The present study was a double-blind randomized controlled trial study, which was conducted on 54 adult patients aged 20 to 65 years who were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were randomly divided into two groups; (i) intervention group received a curcumin piperine capsule containing 500 mg curcumin, and (ii) control group received a placebo capsule containing 500 mg maltodextrin daily for three months. Findings: A total of 52 samples completed the study. The average age of participants in the intervention group was 53.5 ± 6.1 and in the control group was 54.6 ± 8.1, which was not statistically significant. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and finally the disease activity index (DAS-28) decreased significantly in both groups at the end of the study compared to the beginning of the study. But this reduction in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and disease activity index). Conclusion: Use of curcumin - piperine supplement significantly improved the clinical indicators of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. © 2023 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.