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Vitamin D Shows No Major Effect On Pain Or Slowing Progression Of Knee Osteoarthritis

VITAMIN D SHOWS NO MAJOR EFFECT ON PAIN OR SLOWING PROGRESSION OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS”

INTRO: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, often involving the knee. O-A is also a major reason most patients have a knee replacement. A new study examined if taking Vitamin D, which is important for bone health, could improve knee pain and slow the progression of arthritis. Catherine Dolf has more in this week’s JAMA Report.

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SOT/FULL Runs:12 Ed Charest  – Osteoarthritis Patient Super @:02

“When I stand up, wow, for the first 20 steps maybe 30 even, it’s a tough time but then it just eases off.”

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Ed walking into exam room, sitting on table

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AT 81, ED CHAREST IS EXPERIENCING AND LIVING WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS.

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SOT/FULL Runs:13 Timothy McAlindon, D.M., M.P.H., – Tufts Medical Center Super @:17

“The symptoms usually start somewhat gradually with mild pain that may be intermittent but over the years can intensify become persistent and ultimately lead people to seek medical attention.”

(Video covering 2nd half of bite: Arthritic knee on MRI)

NATSO/FULL Runs:02

“…we’re just going to bend your knee towards your head…”

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Ed undergoing examination

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CURRENTLY THERE ARE NO MEDICAL TREATMENTS TO INFLUENCE THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE.

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SOT/FULL Super @:37 Timothy McAlindon, D.M., M.P.H., – Tufts Medical Center Runs:10

“We were looking to see whether Vitamin D would reduce the level of knee pain and would make any difference to the structural progression as measured by how much cartilage they lost.”

(Video covering last part of bite: Dr. McAlindon and colleague walking)

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Dr. McAlindon and colleague walking down hall, patient getting knee scanned, Vitamin D pills

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DR. TIMOTHY McALINDON (Mac-eh-len-DUNN) FROM TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER AND CO-AUTHORS CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVOLVING 146 PATIENTS OVER AGE 45, WHO HAD MODERATE LEVELS OF KNEE PAIN. HALF WERE GIVEN TWO THOUSAND UNITS OF VITAMIN D DAILY AND THE OTHERS RECEIVED A PLACEBO FOR TWO YEARS. RESEARCHERS MEASURED PAIN LEVELS USING QUESTIONAIRES AND SOPHISTICATED IMAGING TECHNIQUES LIKE THIS DEXA SCAN.

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SOT/FULL Super @1:11 Timothy McAlindon, D.M., M.P.H., – Tufts Medical Center Runs:10

“One of the unique aspects of the study is that we designed into it the option of increasing the dose of Vitamin D to meet a certain target level in the blood.”

(Video covering 1st part of bite: Knee image on Dexa Scan)

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GXF FULL JAMA COVER

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THE STUDY APPEARS IN JAMA, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

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SOT/FULL Super @1:22 Timothy McAlindon, D.M., M.P.H., – Tufts Medical Center Runs:18

“Vitamin D supplementation at a level sufficient to raise their blood levels to those considered healthy, did not make any difference over the two year period to how much pain they experienced or the amount of structural damage that occurred to cartilage or to the surrounding bone.”

(Video covering middle of the bite: people walking outside)

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Ed in exam room, moving his knee

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ED SAYS HE MANAGES HIS OSTEOARTHRITIS BY STAYING ACTIVE, EXERCISING AND SIMPLY JUST WORKING THROUGH THE PAIN.

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SOT/FULL Super @ 1:46 Ed Charest  – Osteoarthritis Patient Runs:14

“Is it important, you bet because it’s my life if I’m not flexible with that foot then life then diminishes being old is not that bad, I’m 81 and I don’t even think about it.”

(Video covering 2nd half of bite: Ed in exam room, walking out of room)

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Ed shaking hands with researcher

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CATHERINE DOLF, THE JAMA REPORT.

TAG:RESEARCHERS SAY 85 PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE STUDY.