Does Vitamin K Have an Effect on Hand Osteoarthritis?

Vitamin K has previously been recognized as having bone and cartilage effects and has been shown to be associated with osteoarthritis that is observable on x-ray. To confirm the association, using a secondary study (one that was developed from another study), researchers assessed the effects of vitamin K on x-ray evidence of hand osteoarthritis when compared to placebo. There were 378 study participants -- 193 who received vitamin K supplementation and 185 receiving placebo.

According to the November 2008 issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, study results showed that vitamin K seemed to have some effect on joint space narrowing. Among the study participants who had insufficient vitamin K levels at the beginning of the study but sufficient vitamin K levels when reassessed during the study, there were trends towards 47% less joint space narrowing. Further clinical trials of patients with vitamin K insufficiency could offer more information about the link between vitamin K and osteoarthritis.

Related Resources:

• Osteoarthritis - Explained With Pictures
• X-ray Evidence of Osteoarthritis
• Cartilage - 10 Things You Should Know
• Hand Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
• Joint Space Narrowing - What's the Significance?

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