Impact of Taking Antioxidants in the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis - Case Study Example

Impact of taking Antioxidants in the Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), according to Johnson and Hunter (2014), refers to an autoimmune illness that results in chronic inflammations of the joints in the patients and some cases other body areas. In America alone, RA is affecting nearly 46 million people and has caused disability among 19 million people. People affected by the disease begin from an early, and the complication continues to be exhibited throughout the years of the patient until they reach 70 to 80 years when the condition and symptoms decrease. With the timeframe of infection and the ever-increasing prevalence, various approaches have been considered in treating RA. Among the options considered in treating RA is the use of antioxidants supplements. Wilson (2016) mentions that the intake of antioxidants has an influence on the inflammation rate in the joints of the RA patients. The antioxidants help develop protective elements on the joints, which reduces damage. Therefore, antioxidants can help manage the damage to tissues, but not prevent the development of RA in individuals.

Development

The cause of RA is not defined. Research into the development and cause of RA has not defined a specific element that also is a cause for the development and prevalence of the disease. Among the elements considered in the determination of pathogenesis of RA in patients leads to the determination of risk factors for the illness. Risk factors of RA help in the determination of the extent to which the condition can be managed and even prevented if possible.

According to Jiang et al. (2014), there are various risk factors considered in the determination of prevalence of RA in patients. Risk factors are considered as triggers that either leads to the development of a complication or extension of an issue in patients leading to further illness. One of the risk factors to be considered is gender, where women have a higher prevalence of developing RA as compared to men. The gender of an individual is a large contributor to the development of RA, which is based on hormonal content and type in an individual. Women have a high risk of developing RA as compared to men due to the presence of estrogen. Most of the patients with RA occur from the age of 40 onwards, which is commonly menopause. After menopause, there is an increased rate of estrogen that is produced in the body of women. The increase in the estrogen levels causes an imbalance in the hormonal content. As a result, the increase in the estrogen percentage in women increases the risk of developing RA.

Jiang et al. (2014), also point out that genetics is also a consideration in the development of RA in patients. RA is also considered to be hereditary with the disease affecting people majorly from a family where one of the members of the family was diagnosed with RA. The presence of history where a family member had RA increases the possibilities of another member of the family developing the same complication. However, this is dependent on the lifestyle of individuals. Healthy living and management of food consumed to reduce the possibilities of developing RA among patients. At the same time, physical exercise and therapy increase the functionality of the joints reducing the possible development of complications among patients. Among lifestyle concerns that could increase the rate of developing RA among patients is tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking increases the rate of RA development and the severity of the condition. Tobacco smoking leads to the introduction of nicotine into the bloodstream, which also enhances the development and prevalence of RA among patients. Heavy smokers end up having a huge amount of nicotine in the body system, which will trigger the triggers of RA.

At the same time, obesity or overweight increases the tension in the joints. An unbalanced weight puts pressure on the joints of the body. Continued tension in the joints makes it impossible for the joints to maintain their normal condition due to poor functionality. RA often leads to erosion of the joints, and an excessive body weight only makes the condition more prevalent as the joints cannot manage the body weight increases the erosion effect in patients. In patients whose body weight is unbalanced, the joints are incapable to maintaining this balance, which also would mean that the onset of the disease would be severe since the joints would already be affected and eroded.

Treatment

Treatment of RA is in three distinct forms that offer remedy and management of the symptoms developed over the duration of treatment. The medications considered during treatment of RA include NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs), DMARDs (Disease-modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs), and steroids. These medications are recommended to patients as relievers for complications and symptoms. Among the symptoms being managed by the use of medication include inflammation of the joints and the pain felt by the patient during treatment. Similarly, the medication, specifically, the DMARDs are used in managing the progression of RA while preventing the joints from permanent damage.

Patients are also recommended to seek treatment options, which are based on physical exercises. Engaging in physical exercise allows a patient’s body to exercise the joints as a way to control the pain in the joints and possible stress caused by body weight that could enhance the complication and disease. Lastly, surgery is also a considered option for treatment for severe conditions or level of illness. Surgery is applied in restoring joint damage among patients. Surgery is used in the treatment process of RA to remove inflamed joints or repair the damaged tendons in patients. There are options of joint fusion for patients, which is a stabilization approach for the joints to manage the pain when replacement of the joint is not possible. Lastly, surgery can also be used in replacing the joint of the patient. The damaged parts of the joint can be eliminated and a prosthesis made from plastic and metal replaced.

Application of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are commonly applied in the management and prevention of oxidative damages within the body that are caused by free radicals. According to Lushchak (2014), free radicals refer to chemical species that occur as atoms or molecules that have one or in other cases more than one unpaired electrons in the valence shell. They exist independently, but with the odd number of electrons, they are unstable reducing their lifespan. At the same time, they are highly reactive whenever they come into contact with other compounds as a way of developing stability. Within the body, free radicals are produced as normal cellular functions but maintained to a minimum. Despite the measures in place in managing the development of free radicals in the cells, there are situations where excess production takes place leading to the development of diseases and complications. The reactions of the excessive radical compounds are referred to as ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species). Their reactions have a damaging impact on the DNA and cellular composition in patients leading to chronic diseases. The production of ROS cannot be controlled, but their actions on the body of the patient are based on the equilibrium that is between the radical oxygen species and the endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms in the body. Any imbalance of this equilibrium leads to the development of oxidative stress. Any form of oxidative stress in the body affects the cellular components such as the DNA. The lipids are affected leading to death in situations of excessive reactions on the cells.

Antioxidants are mixes of exogenous or endogenous which either prevents the development of harmful oxidants or captures any that are produced and inactivate them. They likewise hinder the engendering of chain response created by these oxidants. These can be delegated enzymatic cancer prevention agents, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, non-enzymatic cell reinforcements like (supplement cancer prevention agents) beta-carotene. Other groupings incorporate alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic corrosive, bioflavonoids and (metabolic cancer prevention agents) like glutathione, ceruloplasmin, egg whites, bilirubin, ferritin, transferrin, uric corrosive and lactoferrin.

The free radicals or ROS have a major influence on the inflammation of the joints in patients. Control components which might be triggered due to the irritation include the oxidative change of “low thickness lipoprotein, the oxidative inactivation of alpha-1-protease inhibitor, DNA harm, lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein started with the initiation of neutrophil, NADPH oxidase, and endothelial cell xanthine dehydrogenase, which contribute fundamentally to the provocative procedure” (Lushchak, 2014). Rheumatoid joint pain is a fundamental disease that is portrayed by erosive, progressive, and endless polyarthritis. Cell expansion of the synoviocytes and neo-angiogenesis prompts development of pannus which wrecks the articular ligament and the bone14. The FR/ROS influence the pathogenesis of rheumatoid joint pain. Increased oxidative anxieties, as well as defective antioxidants, add to the pathology of rheumatoid joint inflammation. Among RA patients, there is raised the level of Malondialdehyde and low level of endogenous cell reinforcements; likewise, the plasma catalase rate is significantly lower in patients with RA. In dynamic RA conditions in patients, there is an escalated oxidative anxiety and diminished levels of antioxidants.

The commonly applied antioxidants of RA include the superoxide dismutase, and Vitamin E. Wilson (2016) mentions that antioxidants are some of the commonly considered treatment options for RA patients. Vitamin E appears to uncouple joint aggravation and joint pulverization in the transgenic RA, with a valuable impact on joint corrosion. The restorative benefit of including a high dosage of vitamin E or antioxidant to the treatment regimen of RA is that the side effects can be controlled from the first month of administration. Also, helpful co-organization of antioxidants with ordinary medications to RA patients results in a factually huge increment in the post-treatment convergence of the antioxidants and a reduction in the grouping of MDA alongside enhanced indications. Antioxidants and unsaturated fats are recommended to improve RA. Patients with RA have inversely connected levels of retinol, vitamin C, and uric acid through considering the factors identified with the infection.

Appropriate dietary antioxidant supplement admission may enhance the antioxidant status in RA patients. The admission of antioxidant micronutrients, for example, beta-cryptoxanthin, supplemental zinc, and conceivably eating routine in products of vegetables have a defensive role against improvement of RA in patients. In any case, utilization of antioxidant supplements raises worries of self-destructive oxidative stress that is activated by specific antioxidants. These antioxidants can act as pro-oxidants in specific conditions like nearness of transition metals or at high focuses and can lead to high oxidative stress that result in the self-destruction of the cells. Consequently, irrational utilization of antioxidants can likewise increase the danger of potential toxicity in the body.

Conclusion

Treatment and management of arthritis are one of the healthcare challenges that continue to cause concerns over the best approach to be considered. Treatment of illnesses is in many cases based on the triggers and early diagnosis of the disease. However, for RA, the cause of the disease is not defined making the treatment approach varied depending on the risk factors identified. Antioxidants have been considered as a solution to the treatment and management of tissue damage. The application of antioxidants helps reduce damage, systematic inflammations, and modulate the antigen presentation of inflammatory cells. However, the application of supplemental antioxidants is not a guaranteed approach to preventing the development of RA in patients. The application of supplement antioxidants still lacks a directive that specifies the dosage, timing of administration, and the duration of the supplement antioxidants to prevent the development of RA and related symptoms. Application and use of supplement antioxidants would only help manage the symptoms of RA but does not offer therapeutic benefits that can be used in preventing the development of RA in patients.