PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S E Edmonds
AU  - P G Winyard
AU  - R Guo
AU  - B Kidd
AU  - P Merry
AU  - A Langrish-Smith
AU  - C Hansen
AU  - S Ramm
AU  - D R Blake
TI  - Putative analgesic activity of repeated oral doses of vitamin E in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Results of a prospective placebo controlled double blind trial
AID  - 10.1136/ard.56.11.649
DP  - 1997 Nov 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 649--655
VI  - 56
IP  - 11
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/56/11/649.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/56/11/649.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis1997 Nov 01; 56
AB  - OBJECTIVE Vitamin E, the most potent naturally occurring lipid soluble antioxidant has been suggested to possess both anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in humans. This double blind and randomised study used a broad spectrum of clinical and laboratory parameters to investigate whether there was any additional anti-inflammatory or analgesic effects, or both, of orally administered α-tocopherol in rheumatoid arthritis patients who were already receiving anti-rheumatic drugs.METHODS Forty two patients were enrolled and treated with α-tocopherol (n=20) at a dose of 600 mg twice a day (2 × 2 capsules) or with placebo (n=22) for 12 weeks. The following parameters were measured: (1) Three clinical indices of inflammation—the Ritchie articular index, the duration of morning stiffness, and the number of swollen joints; (2) three measures of pain—pain in the morning, pain in the evening, and pain after chosen activity; (3) haematological and biochemical measures of inflammatory activity; (4) assays for the oxidative modification of proteins and lipids.RESULTS All laboratory measures of inflammatory activity and oxidative modification were unchanged. Furthermore, the clinical indices of inflammation were not influenced by the treatment. However, the pain parameters were significantly decreased after vitamin E treatment when compared with placebo.CONCLUSION The results provide preliminary evidence that vitamin E may exert a small but significant analgesic activity independent of a peripheral anti-inflammatory effect, but which complements standard anti-inflammatory treatment.