Latest Joint Health Research and Developments

Obesity is a well accepted risk factor for osteoarthritis. The assumed connection suggests wear and tear leads to the deterioration of joint cartilage. This explanation held up for weight-bearing joints such as the hip. But what about osteoarthritis in the hand joints? A group of researchers led by Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., of Duke University discovered the link between the appetite hormone, leptin, and the development of osteoarthritis.

The scientists studied laboratory mice who were genetically engineered to lack leptin or leptin receptors on the cells. Leptin is an appetite regulating hormone that influences body weight, inflammation, sex hormone levels and bone metabolism. The leptin-deficient mice and the normal, control mice both overate and gained weight. In the final analysis, the knee bones in the leptin-deficient mice changed but did not develop osteoarthritis. The study results suggest that leptin plays a dual role in the development of osteoarthritis by regulating the skeletal and immune systems. The human application of this research is to find the pathway that links a high-fat diet to osteoarthritis. With this knowledge, ". . . we can attempt to identify and block the inflammatory mediators that are linked with the dietary fat,” said Guilak.