Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting postmenopausal women. This study investigated the effects of intermittent fasting (IF) on antioxidant and inflammatory markers and liver enzymes in postmenopausal, overweight and obese women with RA. This 8-week randomized controlled trial included 44 postmenopausal women with RA divided into an intervention group following a 16:8 IF diet and a control group maintaining their usual diet and received recommendations for healthy eating. Inflammatory indices, oxidative stress markers, and liver enzymes were measured at baseline and post intervention. The IF group showed significant decreases in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P = 0.02) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.018) and increased catalase levels (P = 0.004) compared to the control group. Liver enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) also decreased significantly in the IF group (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). No significant differences were observed in the other measured parameters between groups. In conclusion, the 16:8 IF diet demonstrated beneficial effects on some oxidative stress markers, inflammatory indices, and liver enzymes in postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women with RA. These findings suggest that IF may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for managing RA in this population, potentially addressing both primary disease symptoms and associated metabolic complications. Further research is needed to elucidate the long-term effects and mechanisms of IF in the management of RA.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call