Patients with rheumatoid arthritis might want to increase their fish intake; a new study suggests that regular fish consumption may help to alleviate symptoms of the condition.

Researchers found that eating fish at least twice weekly led to a reduction in disease activity among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with eating fish less than once per month.

Study leader Dr. Sara Tedeschi, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, MA, and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

RA is a chronic, progressive condition in which the immune system mistakingly attacks the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. RA can affect any joint, but it most commonly occurs in the joints of the wrists and hands.