Newsbriefs: Knee OA; Gout Attacks

Knee OA Not Relieved by Supplements, but Weight Loss Helps.

The supplements glucosamine and chondroitin do not relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), new studies confirm, supporting previous studies that reached the same conclusion. The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate has been shown to aid moderate-to-severe knee OA, but showed no benefit to patients with mild knee OA pain, according to the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (Arthritis & Rheumatology, November 2014). Meanwhile, a study reported in Arthritis Care & Research (November 2014) suggests that obese patients who maintain weight loss for one year have fewer symptoms compared to their baseline OA symptoms, showing that weight loss is key to easing the pain of knee OA.

Gout Attacks More Prevalent at Night.

Risk of a nighttime attack of gout is twice that of an attack during the daytime, peaking between midnight and 8 am. The higher risk was found among those who took diuretic medication and who used alcohol; patients who took allopurinol and colchicine, anti-gout medications, also were at increased risk during the night hours. (Arthritis & Rheumatology, December 2014.)

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