To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Estrogen Replacement Therapy May Prevent Osteoarthritis URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/CAB2.htm Doctor's Guide September 29, 1996
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 1996 -- Estrogen replacement therapy may decrease an elderly woman's chance of developing osteoarthritis in the hip, according to a UCSF researcher who reported study findings today (September 29) during a conference in San Francisco. "The new research indicates that estrogen may play a role in the prevention of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis," said Michael C. Nevitt, PhD, UCSF assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics. He presented research results at the American Medical Association's 15th Annual Science Reporters Conference. Nevitt's study will be published in the Oct. 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by the breakdown of the joint's cartilage -- the part of the joint that cushions bones where they join together. Cartilage breakdown causes bone to rub against bone, resulting in pain and loss of movement. It most commonly affects the elderly in the hands and weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips, feet and back. Nevitt and colleagues studied hip x-rays for signs of osteoarthritis in 4,366 postmenopausal women age 65 or older who participated in the nationwide Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a multicenter study of risk factors for osteoporosis, another common disease of aging. Through interviews, researchers identified participants who took estrogen replacement therapy prior to when their x-rays were obtained. Researchers found that the women who were currently taking estrogen had nearly a 40 percent lower risk of having any osteoarthritis in the hip compared to women who had never used estrogen. Their risk of developing moderate to severe disease was even lower, Nevitt said. In addition, researchers found that current users who had taken estrogen for 10 years or longer had a greater reduction in the risk of any hip osteoarthritis (43 percent lower risk) compared to users for less than 10 years (25 percent lower risk). Past use of estrogen was not associated with a lower risk of hip osteoarthritis. "Additional research is needed to determine conclusively whether estrogen replacement can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis," Nevitt cautioned, "including studies of the effect of estrogen use on osteoarthritis of other joints and on clinical disease, and most importantly, randomized trials of estrogen therapy on osteoarthritis." Osteoarthritis affects an estimated 16 million Americans, mostly elderly women, and has a large impact on national medical care costs. Hip and knee osteoarthritis account for at least 70 percent of the more than 200,000 total hip and knee replacement surgeries performed each year in the U.S. Treatment options for the disease are limited, and include aspirin, use of heat or cold for temporary pain relief, exercises, joint protection, weight control, and, in severe cases, surgery. Co-authors of the UCSF study are: Steven R. Cummings, MD, UCSF professor of medicine and epidemiology and biostatistics; Nancy E. Lane, MD, UCSF assistant professor of medicine; Marc C. Hochberg, MD, MPH, and Jean C. Scott, DrPH, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Alice R. Pressman, MA, UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Harry K. Genant, MD, UCSF professor of radiology and epidemiology; and Jane A. Cauley, DrPH, University of Pittsburgh. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.