The impact of aerobic exercise and garlic supplementation on serum levels of interleukin-6 and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in women with rheumatoid arthritis: A preliminary randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise combined with garlic supplementation on the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Twenty-eight female patients (35-50 years and BMI: 25.27±2.62), diagnosed according to the European League Against Rheumatism-American College of Rheumatology (EULAR-ACR) criteria for RA, were divided into three groups: exercise + placebo (E)(n=10), exercise + garlic supplement (E+S) (500 mg twice a day) (n=8), and garlic supplement (S) (500 mg twice aday) (n=10) for 8 weeks. The training program involved working on an ergometer, with 3 sessions per week at a heart rate corresponding to 60% of VO2max and gradually increasing the intensity. The study results focused on comparing the changes in the mean values of IL-6 and ESR levels. Data analysis was conducted using paired t-tests and ANCOVA, utilizing SPSS software (P ≤ 0.05). The results of the paired t-test indicated that, after the intervention, the levels of IL-6 (P(E)=0.002, P(E+S)< 0.001, P(S )= 0.04) and ESR (P(E)= 0.005, P(E+S)= 0.009, P(S)= 0.045) decreased in the research groups. Furthermore, the results of the ANCOVA test and post hoc analysis revealed that the serum level of IL-6 in the E+S group (P = 0.004) was significantly lower than in the other groups after the intervention. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that aerobic exercise combined with garlic supplementation is more effective in reducing inflammation in women with RA.