Do antioxidant micronutrients protect against the development and progression of knee osteoarthritis?
OBJECTIVE: Cumulative damage to tissues, mediated by reactive oxygen species, has been implicated as a pathway that leads to many of the degenerative changes associated with aging. We hypothesized that increased intake of antioxidant micronutrients might be associated with decreased rates of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knees, a common age-related disorder. METHODS: Participants in the Framingham Osteoarthritis Cohort Study underwent knee evaluations by radiography at examinations 18 (1983-1985) and 22 (1992-1993). Usual dietary intake was assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire, administered at examination 20 (1988-1989). Knees without OA at baseline (Kellgren and Lawrence [K&L] grade < or = 1) were classified as having incident OA if they had a K&L grade > or = 2 at followup. Knees with OA at baseline were classified as having progressive OA if their score increased by > or = 1 at followup. Knees were also classified as having cartilage loss or osteophyte growth if their maxima
