Nutrition and movement to improve quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Grant_Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich m.b.H (GFF)

Project No.: LSC17-014

Duration: 2022-2025

Principal Investigator:

FH-Prof. Barbara Wondrasch (https://igw.fhstp.ac.at/team/barbara-wondrasch) – PI of projct

Oliver Neubauer – Danube University Krems

Karl-Heinz Wagner - UNIVIE

Main Project group:

Sabine Chmelar (https://www.fhstp.ac.at/de/uber-uns/mitarbeiter-innen-a-z/chmelar-sabine)

Cooperation partners:

FH-Prof. Elisabeth Höld (https://www.fhstp.ac.at/de/uber-uns/mitarbeiter-innen-a-z/hold-elisabeth )

Short description:

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) has long been considered as a degenerative disease of cartilage tissue resulting from bodily wear and tear. However, there is accumulating evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of OA. In knee OA, the most common form of OA, exercise therapy as an effective component of early treatment addresses functional deficits, pain and inflammation. Since inflammation is critical for the development and progress of OA, anti-inflammatory therapies must be combined strategically. In the course of the NUMOQUA project, an anti-inflammatory therapeutic diet named 'Austrian Osteoarthritis Cuisine' was developed. It is based on the framework of the New Nordic Diet combined with the food-based dietary guidelines of Austria, the guidelines for OA, the Austrian food culture and the principles of a sustainable diet. The present study examines the implementation of the 'Austrian OA Cuisine' combined with the evidence-based training programme GLA:D® (Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark) in Austrian patients with knee OA and the effects on quality of life, nutritional and inflammatory status, as well as oxidative stress parameters.

Methods: A total of 60 participants aged 50 to 75 with knee OA will be included and randomly assigned either to the intervention group or the control group. All participants will undergo the GLA:D® programme in the first 6 weeks. Additionally, the intervention group will receive nutritional group training and individual nutritional counselling on the 'Austrian OA Cuisine' over 9 months. The control group will receive general information about a healthy lifestyle. Measurements at baseline and at 4 follow-up dates include nutritional, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, anthropometric, behavioural and clinical data will be obtained. The recruitment process lasted from autumn 2022 to January 2024, followed by the intervention until October 2024.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05955300. Date of registration: 23rd of October 2023.

Publication:

trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-024-08048-2