Lee Swanson Research Update

Curcumin Appears to Relieve Osteoarthritis Patient Pain

January 2011

Daily supplements containing a mixture of curcumin with soy phospholipids may relieve pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis. The news comes from a recent study conducted in Italy.

Changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score, used to measure the osteoarthritis variables, decreased from 80.6 to 33.2 following eight months of supplementation with Indena’s Meriva® proprietary formulation, compared with a drop from 77.8 to 68.8 in the control group, according to findings published in Alternative Medicine Review.

The study involved 100 people with osteoarthritis and is described by the researchers as the "most ambitious attempt, to date, to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of curcumin as an anti-inflammatory agent."

The new study compared the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against NSAIDs plus the Meriva supplement—composed of 20% natural curcuminoid mixture, 40% phosphatidylcholine and 40% microcrystalline cellulose. Subjects in the active group received a daily dose of 1,000 mg, which provided a daily curcumin dose of 200 mg. The control group received "best available treatment."

After eight months of intervention the researchers report that, according to WOMAC scores, pain decreased by 9.3 points, while no change was observed in the control group. Furthermore, scores for stiffness decreased from 7.4 to 3.2, with again no significant changes in the control group.

"Studies with an even larger population and longer treatment period are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate the efficacy and safety of Meriva in a head-to-head comparison with NSAIDs," they added.

As populations age, the burden of osteoarthritis is growing. Over 20 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, and it is reported to be second only to ischemic heart disease as a cause of work disability in men over 50. According to the Center for Disease Control, the direct and indirect costs are estimated to be approaching $90 billion. Elsewhere, the figures are equally worrying, with approximately seven million people in the United Kingdom alone reported to have long-term health problems associated with arthritis.

Pharmaceutical solutions include NSAIDs, which are seen by many as daily necessities to control pain and allow people to carry out their everyday activities. Some NSAIDs, which are among the most frequently prescribed medications worldwide, have been linked with gastrointestinal toxicity, increased blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Alternative Medicine Review 15(4):337-344, 2010

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