Nearly one-quarter of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) subjects with longstanding disease reported an effect of nutrition on their RA symptoms, according to a recent study. Researchers mailed a survey to 300 subjects in a single-center RA registry at a large academic center. Subjects were asked about their eating habits and what specifically made their RA symptoms better, worse, or unchanged. Semi-annual registry data include demographics, medications, comorbidities, and disease activity scores. They found:

• Among 217 subjects (72% response rate), 83% were female, median RA duration was 17 years, and 58% were using a biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD).
• 24% of subjects reported that nutrition affected their RA, with 15% reporting improvement and 19% worsening.
• Blueberries and spinach were most often reported to improve RA symptoms, while soda with sugar and desserts were most often reported to worsen RA symptoms.