Women who drink milk may delay knee osteoarthritis

Women who frequently drink fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee, says a study published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Other results of the research found that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee osteoarthritis progression, and yoghurt had no impact.

A total of 2,148 participants (888 men and 1,260 women) with knee osteoarthritis were followed-up at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months.

Results showed that as the intake of milk increased from none to less than 3oz, 4oz–6oz, and more than 7oz glasses per week, the joint space width in women decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm, 0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively. Results persisted after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index and dietary factors. No association between milk consumption and joint space width decrease was reported in men.

“Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health,” explains lead author Dr Bing Lu. “Our study is the largest study to investigate the impact of dairy intake in the progression of knee osteoarthritis.

“Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of osteoarthritis. Further study of milk intake and delay in osteoarthritis progression are needed.”

Robert McLean from Harvard-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research agrees:

“With the aging population and increase in life expectancy, there is an urgent need for effective methods to manage osteoarthritis. The study by Lu et al provides the first evidence that increasing fat-free or low-fat milk consumption may slow the progression of osteoarthritis among women who are particularly burdened by osteoarthritis of the knee, which can lead to functional disability.”