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[Relationship between hypercholesterolemia and osteoarthritis (preliminary results)]
E A Taskina1, L I Alekseeva1, N G Kashevarova1
1Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology.
Insights
Hypercholesterolemia (HCE), or high cholesterol, is prevalent in 59% of osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Elevated cholesterol levels in OA patients correlate with increased knee joint pain and poorer health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with a significant impact on quality of life.
- Hypercholesterolemia (HCE) is a known cardiovascular risk factor, but its association with OA is less understood.
- Understanding the interplay between metabolic factors like HCE and OA pathogenesis is crucial for comprehensive patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between hypercholesterolemia (HCE) and various clinical, instrumental, and laboratory parameters in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
- To determine the prevalence of HCE in an OA patient cohort.
- To assess how HCE influences pain perception, functional status, and structural changes in OA.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, cross-sectional study involving 183 patients aged 40-75 with confirmed stage I-III knee OA.
- Data collection included anthropometrics, medical history, pain assessments (VAS, WOMAC, KOOS), radiography, ultrasound, and laboratory tests.
- Patients were categorized based on the presence or absence of HCE for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- Hypercholesterolemia (HCE) was detected in 59% of the studied osteoarthritis (OA) patients.
- Patients with HCE reported significantly higher pain scores (VAS, WOMAC), worse overall health, lower KOOS scores, and showed reduced cartilage on ultrasound.
- Elevated HCE was associated with higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, STX-II, and COMP. Age stratification revealed persistent differences in pain scores.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (HCE) in patients with osteoarthritis (OA).
- Increased total cholesterol levels in OA patients are linked to more intense knee joint pain.
- These findings suggest a potential link between metabolic dysregulation and OA symptomatology, warranting further investigation.
Aim:
To evaluate the relationship of hypercholesterolemia (HCE) with clinical, instrumental, and laboratory parameters in osteoarthritis (OA) in a multicenter, cross-sectional study.
Materials And Methods:
The study included 183 patients aged 40-75 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of stage I-III OA (ACR) of the knee joints, who signed an informed consent. The mean age was 55.6±10.7 years (40 to 75), body mass index was 29.3±6.3 kg/m2, and disease duration was 5 [1; 10] years. For each patient, a case record form was filled out, including anthropometric indicators, medical history, clinical examination data, an assessment of knee joint pain according to VAS, WOMAC, KOOS and comorbidities. All patients underwent standard radiography and ultrasound examination of the knee joints and laboratory tests.
Results:
HCE was detected in 59% of patients. Depending on its presence or absence, patients were divided into two groups. Patients were comparable in body mass index, waist and hip measurement, and disease duration but differed significantly in age. Individuals with elevated total cholesterol levels had higher VAS pain scores, total WOMAC and its components, an overall assessment of the patient's health, a worse KOOS index, and ultrasound findings (reduced cartilage tissue). HCE patients showed high levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, STX-II, and COMP (p<0.05). However, after stratification by age, many initial intergroup differences became insignificant, and differences in the WOMAC pain score persisted.
Conclusion:
The results of the study confirmed the high prevalence of HCE in OA patients (59%). Patients with OA and increased total cholesterol have more intense pain in the knee joints.
