“Thunder God Vine” : Herbal remedy may improve arthritis symptoms

A Chinese herb, called thunder god vine, works better than a widely prescribed pharmaceutical drug at easing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published this week.

Chinese researchers recruited 207 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and gave them either the herb, the drug methotrexate (marketed as Rheumatrex or Trexall), or a combination of the two.

Of the 174 who completed the trial, 55% of those on the herb got a 50% improvement, unlike the 46 who were treated with methotrexate alone.

“While the herb has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in China for many centuries, there wasn’t clinical evidence of its efficacy compared with current standard medical treatments,” said lead author Xuan Zhang, a doctor at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s Department of Rheumatology.

Thunder god vine extract, named Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F has also been investigated for its potential to treat autoimmune diseases and some cancers. A drug made from the plant wiped out pancreatic tumors in mice, researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center said in a study published in October 2012.

Agencies/Canadajournal

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