The Role of Exercise and Diet for Knee OA

Exercise—irrespective of changes in diet—appeared to have a positive impact on the physiological functions among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to the findings of a recent study published in the Arthritis Care and Research.

“Increased arthritis self-efficacy, reduced fear of movement, and weight loss may partially mediate telehealth-delivered exercise program effects, including those programs with and without diet, on pain and/or function in knee OA,” the researchers explained. “Weight loss may partially mediate the effect of diet and exercise compared to exercise alone.”

The researchers included 345 patients with knee OA who completed a 6-month telehealth-delivered programs and segregated them into 3 groups: exercise only, diet and exercise, and those who received education (control group).

The primary outcomes for the secondary analysis were changes in pain and function, calculated at the end of 12 months. At 6 months, the 6 potential mediator variables were changes in attitudes toward self-management, fear of movement, arthritis self-efficacy, weight, physical activity, and willingness for knee surgery.

“Increased arthritis self-efficacy, reduced fear of movement, and weight loss, may partially mediate telehealth-delivered exercise program effects, with and without diet, on pain and/or function in knee OA,” the paper read.

For the diet and exercise group vs the control group, the investigators found weight loss was an important additional variable in improving symptoms. Weight loss was the key variable in improving the symptoms in both the exercise and the exercise + diet groups.

Reference:
Lawford BJ, Hinman RS, McManus F et al. How does exercise, with and without diet, improve pain and function in knee osteoarthritis? A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial exploring potential mediators of effects. Arthritis Care Res. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.25140