Do your knees complain on cold winter mornings? Is there a familiar ache that let’s you know when rain is on the way?
Then you may be exactly the type of person Southern Cross University is looking for.
The university’s NatMed-Research Unit is looking for women who have been through menopause and are now suffering osteoarthritis of the knee to take part in a research study.
The study will test the effectiveness of marine oil supplements in treating the symptoms of this often debilitating condition.
Conducted by Professor Stephen Myers and Mr Chris Oliver, the new study and follows preliminary trials over the past two years which looked at the effect of a specific marine oil in both men and women.
‘In our preliminary studies we demonstrated that a standardised marine oil extract derived from New Zealand green-lipped mussels can substantively reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis which confirms the results of work carried out overseas,’ Professor Myers said.
‘Women have increased risk of osteoarthritis after menopause and women with this type of osteoarthritis are identified in a separate category. New insights into the biochemistry and biology of osteoarthritis have demonstrated that estrogen-deficiency related osteoarthritis is a distinct subset of the condition.
‘Given our previous success in studying women with post-menopausal osteoarthritis we have identified this group as the target of our next study.’
The new study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two different marine oils and all participants will use both marine oil extracts at different times.
The researchers are looking for 25 post-menopausal women (50 to 75 years of age) to participate, which will involve attending clinical meetings at SCU’s Lismore campus.
The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare estimates that eight per cent of Australians have osteoarthritis and that two out of three sufferers are female.
Professor Myers said arthritis was the most frequent cause of disability among adults in the developed world and as the population continued to age the prevalence of the condition would significantly increase.
‘Current standard clinical practice is to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), but these have a high side effect profile. The goal of our research into osteoarthritis is to find a treatment that provides a safer, but equally effective, alternative,’ Professor Myers said.
The research is funded by Pharmalink International Pty Ltd but is being conducted independently by Southern Cross University.
For more information on the study contact coordinator Shelley Robinson at [email protected] or phone 0419 098 018.
