RESEARCH - TwHF extract effective for RA

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From Reuters Health Information

Chinese Herb Effective for Rheumatoid Arthritis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 17 - The Chinese herb Tripterygium

wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) is more effective than sulfasalazine for

treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a report in the

August 18th ls of Internal Medicine.

" The mechanism of action is not fully understood but seems different

from currently available drugs, " Dr. Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky, from

the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, land told Reuters

Health. " Although a standardized preparation of the drug is not

currently available, the treatment with TwHF may become an addition to

the currently available treatment options for RA in the future. "

Dr. Goldbach-Mansky and colleagues compared TwHF extract with

sulfasalazine in a 24-week study of 121 patients with active

rheumatoid arthritis who could continue oral prednisone and

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs but not disease-modifying

antirheumatic drugs.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707563

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