Key result
Oral zinc sulphate shows no long-lasting clinical or laboratory benefit in severe rheumatoid arthritis.
Why the study?
The long-term efficacy of oral zinc sulphate in patients with severe long-standing rheumatoid arthritis was uncertain.
Does oral zinc sulphate improve symptoms and disease markers in patients with severe long-standing rheumatoid arthritis?
Does oral zinc sulphate improve symptoms and disease markers in patients with severe long-standing rheumatoid arthritis?
Oral zinc sulphate does not provide long-lasting clinical benefit for severe rheumatoid arthritis and is associated with adverse effects like nausea.
No support for zinc sulphate in severe RA; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation.
Twenty-two patients with severe long-standing rheumatoid arthritis were treated with oral zinc sulphate in a prospective long-term open trial. Six patients had (only subjective) improvement during the first 6 months of treatment, but all deteriorated subsequently. The remaining 16 deteriorated or did not improve and these patients expressed a wish to stop taking the drug after a mean period of 5 months. In the whole group of 22 patients, neither the number of affected joints, the ARA grading, nor functional classification changed significantly, nor did ESR, haemoglobin, haematocrit, or platelet count. The unpleasant taste and nausea caused by zinc sulphate was the main side effect. Our study confirms that ZnSO4 has no long-lasting beneficial effect for patients severely affected with rheumatoid arthritis.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Rasker et al. (1982) studied Rheumatoid arthritis (n=22). Oral zinc sulphate was evaluated on Number of affected joints, ARA grading, functional classification, and laboratory parameters. Oral zinc sulphate had no long-lasting beneficial effect on clinical or laboratory parameters in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: