Objective: To study the clinical efficacy of Suogudan Granule (SGDG) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: Ninety patients with RA were randomly divided into the treated group and the control group. The treated group was administered orally with SGDG 6 g each time

thrice a day

while the control group with the combined therapy of Fenbid Capsules 0.3 g each time

twice a day and Tripterygium tablet 20 mg each time

thrice a day. The treatment course for both groups was 6 weeks. The changes of clinical symptoms and signs

and laboratory indices such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

rheumatoid factor (RF)

antistreptolysin O (ASO)

routine examination of blood and urine

liver and kidney function

etc. before and after treatment were observed.Results: (1) The total effective rate in the treated group (88. 0%) was obviously higher than that in the control group (67. 5%) with significant difference (P<0.05). (2) The improvement in arthralgia

joint swelling

time of morning stiffness

15-meter walking

analgesia initiation and persistence in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05

P<0.01)

but there was no obvious difference in improvement of joint tenderness

range of joint motion

grip strength

and initiating detumescence time (P>0.05). (3) The improvement in ESR and RF in the treated group was better than that in the control group with significant difference (P<0.05). The negative conversion rate of ASO in the treated group was also higher than that in the control group (P<0. 01). (4) No evident abnormality in blood

urine

liver or kidney function was found in either group.Conclusion: SGDG is effective and safe for the treatment of RA.