Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis at Risk for Heart Disease!

A group of Dutch investigators have reported that patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis have as much risk for cardiovascular disease as Diabetic patients do. This is a striking finding because diabetes is a major risk for vascular complications. There is no evidence yet that the usual preventive measures for heart attacks and strokes would be effective for RA, but there are reports that chelation therapy might be helpful for both Rheumatoid Arthritis and to prevent heart attacks. Therefore, until further data is obtained, I am now recommending chelation therapy for all rheumatoid patients, especially since the newer more powerful drugs, such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicaid are now under FDA investigation because of safety concerns.

See www.familypracticenews.com July 15, 2008, p.43.

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