Nutrition and Rheumatic Disease

It is difficult, if not impossible, for health care providers to remain at the forefront of knowledge for all aspects of nutrition and rheumatic diseases. In Nutrition and Rheumatic Disease, experts provide a comprehensive review of current knowledge regarding nutrition and dietary management for the complex set of rheumatic conditions. Within the disease-specific chapters, the authors present a historical perspective, a discussion of the major clinical features, current management and treatment, a review of the literature related to nutritional status and diet, and dietary recommendations, based on current scientific evidence. The field of rheumatic diseases includes a wide variety of pathologic processes. Adequate reviews of the scientific literature on each of the rheumatic diseases in Nutrition and Rheumatic Disease alleviate the inherent confusion surrounding the risks and benefits of various dietary therapies.

• Alternative medicine
• Arthritis
• Connective tissue
• Internal medicine
• Interstitial tissues
• Synovial membrane
• medicine
• nutrition

From the reviews:

This book, part of a series of multiauthored titles on nutrition and health, is one of the few books to systematically evaluate the scientific literature regarding the role of nutrition in the development and management of rheumatic disease.

The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based summary of nutrition and rheumatic disease. The contributing authors are experts in the fields of nutrition or rheumatoid disease research. Each provides an evidence-based assessment of nutrients and supplements in the management of the various rheumatoid diseases and syndromes as well as areas which are in need of further research.

The book is directed at health professionals who are involved in the management of patients with rheumatoid disease. It is also of value to advanced students in nutrition or health related disciplines. It generally is written at a level that requires general, but not advanced, expertise on readers' part.

The 15 chapters include general introductions to rheumatoid disease, nutrition assessment, and immunology, and specific discussions of the various rheumatic diseases or pathophysiologies. Because the authors provide expertly weighted summaries of the literature rather than the data itself, there is a smaller than average number of black-and-white illustrations. Each chapter includes 50 to 150 citations that include recent as well as classic studies. The index is detailed and easy to use.

This valuable addition to the field continues the success of the series and is a valuable resource for health professionals. It provides evidence-based conclusions that can be used to advise patients and answer their questions. As noted by the editor, there is no evidence of a diet for rheumatoid disease, but the reviews identify nutritional approaches that can help manage some of the symptoms and functional declines associated with rheumatoid disease.

Dale A. Schoeller, PhD(University of Wisconsin-Madison)

"Nutrition and Rheumatic Disease is to provide clinicians with a comprehensive and current review so they are able to answer patients’ many questions regarding the impact of diet and nutritional supplements on rheumatic diseases. … The strength of the book is its compilation of the available studies about nutrition in the various rheumatologic diseases. … For the reader interested in knowing the current state of knowledge about this field, this book is a welcome addition." (Douglas Kalman and Diane R. Krieger, JAMA, Vol. 300 (9), September, 2008)

• Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, WI

  Laura A. Coleman

Policies and ethics