Cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis are two very
common diseases in our society that that are not commonly thought of as being
as being associated with one another but it turns out that there is some research
that provides a link between the two. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the
arteries caused by plaque build up and is most commonly thought of as a lipid
based disorder caused by cholesterol and fats. It turns out that cells and
cytokines involved in certain inflammatory pathways can lead to the
pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic
inflammatory disease that causes elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines
like interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-6. The
cytokines involved in rheumatoid arthritis can cause vascular damage and atherosclerosis
leading to CVD.
Nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and
cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitors are commonly used to treat inflammation
but on their own they may lead to an increased risk of CV disease in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis. Another method used to treat inflammation that is gaining
more and more popularity is the use of complementary and alternative approaches
such as over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and minerals, supplements, ointments,
yoga and natural components found in plants. One plant component that has shown
some promising results has been (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which is
found in green tea. Studies show that many of the beneficial effects from
drinking green tea come from EGCG and has demonstrated its anti-inflammatory
effects in numerous studies.
EGCG has been shown to have different effects on cartilage,
bone and synovial fibroblast activity through modulating the expression of
cytokines. EGCG inhibits the effects of IL-1β which causes many downstream
effects such as inhibition of protein phosphorylation and down regulation of IL-6,
IL-8 and TNF-α as well. These findings show that green tea may be beneficial in
ameliorating inflammation and reducing cartilage destruction associated with
different forms of arthritis.
EGCG is able to help patients with CVD as well through
similar pathways. Following myocardial ischemia and subsequent reperfusion, EGCG
administration has been shown to minimize ROS-mediated endothelial damage by reducing
the recruitment of neutrophils and decreasing the release of IL-6 and TNF-α. A
different study showed that EGCG would help dilate coronary arteries in disease
states. Studies done in mice have shown that a significant reduction of plaque
coverage on the aorta as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels in mice
that were given EGCG.
In conclusion, there is strong evidence that ECGC shows
positive effects in both rheumatoid arthritis and CVD. We have seen a lot of
articles in class that talk about natural cures for many different kinds of
diseases that are out there. Natural remedies are a popular thing and I believe
that they will continue to be popular and it is important that we understand
how these work so that we can properly recommend them to people who want to try
them. The potential drug-drug interactions and actual effectiveness are
concerns that should be taken into consideration when talking to your doctor
about some alternative approaches.
Citations:
Riegsecker, Sharayah. National Center for
Biotechnology Information. U.S.
National Library of Medicine, 19 July 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Really interesting article! I enjoyed reading the science behind as opposed to just hearing my mom go on and on about its benefits, and how green tea has been a tradition in China for thousands of years. Something that would be worth conducting further research into would be the dosage necessary for significant therapeutic effects. Like we discussed in class, is the plant potent enough in its natural form so that we don't have to eat hundreds of servings, or does it have to be extracted into a highly condensed pill? Food for thought.
ReplyDeleteWhat serving is needed is always an important thing to consider when talking about using natural remedies. I don't remember the article saying anything specifically about what dose is needed to get an effect but it would be nice if one or two cups is all you needed!
DeleteThis was such an interesting post. We have discussed in class with almost every disease a natural approach or a natural remedy to alleviate symptoms. I agree with you that the popularity of natural medicine is increasing substantially and will probably continue to increase. I am also glad you brought up the safety factor. Its important that we study and understand the possible interactions of these natural extracts if given in a high concentrate with other medicines and just the general effects it has on our body.
ReplyDeleteIn class we talked about doctors proscribing better diet and exercise to patients. I think it would be great to see a doctor literally write a prescription for one cup of green tea a day or a brisk 30 minute walk. I know a lengthy pep-talk about diet may not be practical but something in writing from the doctor may be more meaningful to a patient.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear that green tea helps with these disorders as well since I drink so much of it! I knew that green tea had many different benefits but because the knowledge of green tea being good for you is so widespread and commonly known, I never bothered to check up on what green tea really helps. So this article really helped bring that to my attention! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love how well you discussed everything, it was really clear and understandable. The link between RA and CVD seems to obvious after reading this article, to me anyway, but I had never really associated the two. I worked at Teavana for awhile and the biggest point we were told to make for green tea was how much it helped with the immune system and inflammation. Yay, a (relatively) accurate advertisement!
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing us to another area of research on rheumatoid arthritis! This post exemplified how we should treat natural remedies in my opinion: these should be rigorously evaluated and we should strive to understand how they work at a mechanistic level.
ReplyDeleteYou made this correlation very easy to understand. The benefits of drinking green tea sound promising, but just out of curiosity how much green tea would we have to drink in order to see the positive effects of EGCG? Two cups a day? This is kind of one of the "quick fixes" that we discuss in class and its great that you have a mechanism as to why it works and I think this is a great topic of research and something that the general population would be very receptive top. I've heard of green tea being used for everything from weigh loss to acne and while I haven't looked into many of the other topics, it is enlightening to know why and how green tea helps inflammation. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIm curious about the dosage of ECGC in green tea. I know that green tea has been around since ancient times, and especially popular in eastern medicine. This relates back to the curcumin article we read earlier in the semester. Dosage from orally taken substances is always a problem because of absorption. Maybe getting an extract of ECGC in a pill form could be a way to get these effects and market them more reasonably so that people aren't having to drink gallons of tea every day. This definitely made me want to go make a cup of tea though! I would also like to see this study done in humans to see how it translates over.
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