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Arthritis 

Arthritis 

Anti-inflammatory properties of Artemisia annua should be considered in autoimmune arthritis treatments  

Arthritis and joint pain are not ailments reserved for the elderly.  In fact, arthritis is a very common condition that affects more than 50 million adults and a surprising 300,000 children.  Arthritis simply refers to the inflammation of the joints and comes in more than 100 different types.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It’s a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. The most common symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. Usually the symptoms progress slowly over years.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.It’s is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect more than just your joints. In some people, the condition can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. RA affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling and can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.

Recent Worcester Polytechnic institute trials indicate that artemisinin delivered as a tea infusion or as dried leaves of A. annua (DLA) is significantly more bioavailable, crosses the intestine more efficiently, and has about four-fold greater solubility than pure artemisinin. DLA also does not require extraction and purification, making it an affordable alternative to artemisinin combination therapy (ACT.) Their results suggest that the oral consumption of artemisinin as DLA enhances the bioavailability and anti-inflammatory potency of artemisinin.  

Further more, clinic trials with Artemisia annua for efficacy and safety to manage osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, have shown positive results.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, potentially fatal autoimmune disease with no complete cure. Current treatments for SLE are limited by suboptimal efficacy and increased risk of infections and malignancies, and cannot meet the clinical demands of patients with SLE. 

Published Study Summaries

Dried Leaf Artemisia annua Improves Bioavailability of Artemisinin via Cytochrome P450 Inhibition and Enhances Efficacy Downstream
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32046156/

Effect of Artemisia annua extract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized control trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28035541/

A pilot randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the efficacy nd safety of an extract of Artemisia annua administered over 12 weeks, for managing pain, stiffness, and functional limitation associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26631103/

An open-label six month extension study to investigate the safety and efficacy of an extract of Artemisia annua for mangling pain, stiffness and functional limitation associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27806033/

Artemisinin Ameliorates Osteoarthritis by Inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30562742/

Ant-inflammatory, Anti0xidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Artemisinin Extracts from Artemisia annua
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25605993/

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