Curcumin in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥ 18 years; read and understand English
2. Stable dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAID) for ≥ 2 weeks.
3. Oral prednisone or equivalent ≤ 10 mg daily and stable dose for ≥ 2 weeks(and must bekept stable throughout the duration of the protocol).

• ESR > 20 mm/hr, or CRP > 0.8 mg/dl

4. May be using any of the following DMARDs: methotrexate, sulfasalazine,hydroxychloroquine or leflunomide. If using any of these DMARDs must be using them for ≥ 12 weeks and stable dose for ≥ 4 weeks. If using other DMARD, or DMARD combinations,these additional or other DMARDs must be stopped for ≥ 4 weeks before baseline visit.May also participate if patient not on DMARD,
5. Subjects must be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis based on the revised AmericanCollege of Rheumatology criteria:Presence of > swollen and > 6 tender joint count (28joint count), and either ESR > 20 mm/hr or CRP > 0.8 mg/dl

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Acute medical conditions deemed as inappropriate by the investigators (acute heartfailure, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled hypertension)
2. AST/ALT > 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN)
3. Serum creatinine > 1.6 mg/dl
4. Hemoglobin/Hematocrit < 10.0 gram/dl/ 30.0
5. Platelet count < 100,000
6. Current use of warfarin (as there is a drug interaction between curcumin andwarfarin).
7. Currently on biologic therapy (must have stopped etanercept for ≥ 4 weeks oradalimumab or infliximab for ≥ 8 weeks at time of Time 1 visit),
8. Women who are pregnant,
9. Subjects who are taking digoxin, warfarin and/or heparin,
10. Subjects with a history of antiphospholipid syndrome and other thrombophilic states,
11. Subjects who have an INR >= 1.5 at baseline,
12. Subjects with acute episode(s) of cholecystitis within the last 6 months,
13. Subjects with active peptic ulcer disease within the last 6 weeks