New Way To Reduce Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Found

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Now those suffering from this condition may have found a good way to reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that have been known to be very painful with no known cure to cure it.

Reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms through the vagus nerve

Scientists have found a surprising yet practical way to treat rheumatoid arthritis by way of stimulating the vagus nerve and yielded positive results. This discovery gives hope to many people with rheumatoid arthritis who have been plagued with the disorder for years.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam, SetPoint Medical and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research claim their tests showed robust responses in reducing symptoms by stimulating the inflammatory reflex directly. They implanted a device that would stimulate the vagus nerve and it has shown good results in reducing symptoms.

A debilitating autoimmune disease

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system itself attacks the joints and although the cause is still unknown, the treatment approach is to control inflammation of the joints to relive symptoms, avoids further damage and lowers the risk of long-term complications.

“This is a real breakthrough in our ability to help people suffering from inflammatory diseases,” says Dr. Kevin Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. “While we’ve previously studied animal models of inflammation, until now we had no proof that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can indeed inhibit cytokine production and reduce disease severity in humans. I believe this study will change the way we see modern medicine, helping us understand that our nerves can, with a little help, make the drugs that we need to help our body heal itself.”

The findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and involved some 17 volunteer patients diagnosed with the condition. They planted a device where they activated and deactivated the device on schedule for 84 days while they continue to measure progress and responses halfway into the test period.

Responses from the patients on the device were measured through disease activity in relation to tender and swollen joints, serum C-reactive protein levels and assessments of the disease by both patients and doctors.

“Our findings suggest a new approach to fighting diseases with bioelectronic medicines, which use electrical pulses to treat diseases currently treated with potent and relatively expensive drugs,” says Anthony Arnold, chief executive officer of SetPoint Medical. “These results support our ongoing development of bioelectronic medicines designed to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases and give healthcare providers new and potentially safer treatment alternatives at a much lower total cost for the healthcare system.”

Image Credit: Puwadol Jaturawutthichai/Shutterstock

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