In this randomized double-blind clinical trial , female patients with established RA for more than @ year , @-@ years of age and body mass index ( BMI ) lower than @ , who followed stable medication for @ months prior to the supplementation , were randomly allocated to receive either one capsule containing @ ( @ ) colony forming units ( CFU ) of L. casei @ , or a placebo for @ weeks ; allocation was stratified by BMI and menopausal status .