New research suggests women could reduce their risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee by regularly consuming fat-free milk, low-fat milk, or cheese. Yogurt was not found to help prevent the condition.
OA is a common condition that causes pain and swelling in the "hand, hips, or knee," a Wiley news release reported. OA affects about 27 million Americans over the age of 25; it is more often seen in women.
"Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health," explains lead author Bing Lu, M.D., Dr.P.H., from Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. "Our study is the largest study to investigate the impact of dairy intake in the progression of knee OA."
Other risk factors for OA include playing sports, injuries, and obesity.
The research team looked at 2,148 participants with OA of the knee who were part of the Osteoarthritis Initiative. The team measured the study subjects' joint space width using X-rays and dietary data was collected.
The study included 888 men and 1,260 women who were followed up at "12, 24, 36, and 48 months," the news release reported.
"As the intake of milk increased from none to less than 3, 4-6, and more than 7 (8 oz) glasses per week, the joint space width in women also decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm, 0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively," the news release reported.
The team found the results of the study remained constant even when they adjusted for other risk factors such as body mass index (BMI) and other dietary factors.
"Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA," Dr. Lu said. "Further study of milk intake and delay in OA progression are needed."
The researchers did not find a link between milk consumption and OA in men.
"With the aging population and increase in life expectancy, there is an urgent need for effective methods to manage OA. The study by Lu et al. provides the first evidence that increasing fat-free or low-fat milk consumption may slow the progression of OA among women who are particularly burdened by OA of the knee, which can lead to functional disability," Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., and Robert McLean, D.Sc., M.P.H., from Harvard-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research wrote in a related article.
