The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the device for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms who either can’t effectively manage their symptoms with biologics or targeted medications or can’t tolerate side effects from these drugs.

The device delivers a brief, low-voltage jolt of electricity to the vagus nerve once a day to reduce the inflammation that exacerbates RA symptoms. The vagus nerve runs from the brain to the digestive tract and controls a wide variety of bodily functions, including immune responses.

The new device is welcome because existing medications have limitations, said S. Louis Bridges Jr., MD, PhD, Physician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Medicine at HSS. 

Read the full article at everydayhealth.com.