Effect of conjugated linoleic acid, vitamin E and their combination on lipid profiles and blood pressure of Iranian adults with active rheumatoid arthritis

Naheed Aryaeian¹, Farhad Shahram², Mahmoud Djalali¹, Mohammad R Eshragian³, Abolghasem Djazayeri¹, Abdolfatah Sarrafnejad⁴, Nasim Naderi², Maryam Chamari¹, Fariha Fatehi¹, Mahnaz Zarei¹

¹Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran; ²Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran; ³Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran; ⁴Department of Immunology, School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), vitamin E, and combination of these nutrients on serum lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 87 patients with active RA were divided into four groups receiving one of the following daily supplements for three months: Group C: CLAs 2.5 g equivalent to 2 g mixture of cis 9-trans 11 and trans 10-cis12 CLAs in a rate of 50/50; Group E: vitamin E: 400 mg; Group CE: CLAs and vitamin E at above doses: Group P: placebo. After supplementation, SBP levels decreased significantly in the group C in comparison with groups E and P and mean arterial pressure reduced signifi cantly in groups C and CE. There weren’t significant differences in the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL/HDL, cholesterol/HDL, fasting blood sugar, C-reactive protein (CRP), arylestrase activity, platelet count and body mass index between groups. CRP dropped nonsignificantly in groups P, C, E and CE (19%, 24%, 55%, and 39%, respectively). Erythrocytes sedimentation rate levels decreased in groups C, E and CE (P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.001, respectively). It is concluded that supplementation of CLAs decreased BP and vitamin E decreased CRP. Therefore cosupplementation of CLAs and vitamin E might be profitable for heart disease prevention in RA patients.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, lipid profiles, blood pressure, conjugated linoleic acids, vitamin E