Supplementation of Krill Oil in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on June 21st, 2024
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Previous study had found that the supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid can reduce inflammation. Compared to normal fishes, oil from Antarctic krill has a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids and it also contains astaxanthin, an antioxidant that can further reduce inflammation. Therefore, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia had sponsored a study to examine the effectiveness of krill oil in reducing inflammation and improving the health of patients living with knee osteoarthritis.
The study enrolled 262 participants above the age of 60 years old who had been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis using the criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology. Knee pain was self-reported by the participants, and rated on a scale from 0 and 100. At baseline, the average knee pain score was around 50, and the median effusion-synovitis volume was measured by magnetic resonance imaging to be around 5 mL. To avoid the confounding effects of other conditions, the study excluded participants who had experienced serious knee injury that requires surgery within the past 12 months. Also, participants who had used aspirin, NSAIDs, or corticosteroids within the past 3 months were excluded because these agents can reduce the inflammation and knee pain which will muddle the effect of the krill oil being studied. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated orally with either placebo or 2 grams of krill oil daily. The krill oil pills contain a total of 380 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 200 mg of docosahexaenoic acid. After 24 weeks of treatment, the researchers concluded that there is no significant change in the self-reported pain level between those who were treated with placebo and krill oil. In addition, there was no significant difference in the C-reactive protein level between the two groups. The researchers noted that this lack of positive effect of krill oil is contradictory to other randomized controlled trials; thus, more studies with larger sample size are needed before a conclusion can be made on the efficacy of krill oil.
The study enrolled 262 participants above the age of 60 years old who had been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis using the criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology. Knee pain was self-reported by the participants, and rated on a scale from 0 and 100. At baseline, the average knee pain score was around 50, and the median effusion-synovitis volume was measured by magnetic resonance imaging to be around 5 mL. To avoid the confounding effects of other conditions, the study excluded participants who had experienced serious knee injury that requires surgery within the past 12 months. Also, participants who had used aspirin, NSAIDs, or corticosteroids within the past 3 months were excluded because these agents can reduce the inflammation and knee pain which will muddle the effect of the krill oil being studied. The participants were randomly assigned to be treated orally with either placebo or 2 grams of krill oil daily. The krill oil pills contain a total of 380 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 200 mg of docosahexaenoic acid. After 24 weeks of treatment, the researchers concluded that there is no significant change in the self-reported pain level between those who were treated with placebo and krill oil. In addition, there was no significant difference in the C-reactive protein level between the two groups. The researchers noted that this lack of positive effect of krill oil is contradictory to other randomized controlled trials; thus, more studies with larger sample size are needed before a conclusion can be made on the efficacy of krill oil.