Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis and race is a risk factor for poor outcomes. Non-Hispanic Black individuals (NHB) report greater disability and pain severity compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). These differences are reinforced through social and biological mechanisms, ultimately resulting in disparities in pain experience and associated quality of life. National efforts to reduce analgesic utilization highlight the critical need for safe, effective, and accessible alternatives for pain relief for underserved/at-risk populations. Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) reduce inflammation and pain independent of weight loss, indicating that diet interventions offer a non-pharmacological alternative. However, racial differences exist in metabolism that are rarely addressed in diet intervention studies. Therefore, a LCD may have greater pain-reducing effects in NHBs and provide an alternative treatment for pain. This will be the first study to examine the efficacy of these diets to reduce knee OA pain with an emphasis on race and interactions with biopsychosocial variables. Aim 1: To investigate the efficacy of the LCD to reduce pain and improve QOL. Hypothesis 1: The LCD group will show significantly greater reductions in: self-reported pain and evoked pain when compared to the USDA diet. Hypothesis 2: The LCD group will show greater improvements in: QOL, mood, and self-reported improvement. Hypothesis 3: Both diets will result in improved pain disability, severity, catastrophizing and pain-related fear; the LCD will outperform the USDA diet. Objective 2: To explore racial differences in diet effects and baseline measures. Hypothesis 1: NHBs will show greater improvements in pain, QOL, and mood. Hypothesis 2: NHBs will report greater food insecurity and less proximity to grocery stores. Hypothesis 3: Diet quality will be negatively associated with baseline pain sensitivity. Objective 3: To determine whether physiological variables contribute to diet effects or lack thereof. Hypothesis 1: Baseline physiological measures will predict: pain sensitivity and reductions in pain. NHBs will show greater inflammation at baseline than NHWs. Hypothesis 2: Change in physiological measures will be related to: change in pain, change in QOL, self-reported improvement and mood. NHWs will show greater reductions in inflammation and adiposity than NHBs.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis and race is a risk factor for poor outcomes. Non-Hispanic Black individuals (NHB) report greater disability and pain severity compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). These differences are reinforced through social and biological mechanisms, ultimately resulting in disparities in pain experience and associated quality of life. National efforts to reduce analgesic utilization highlight the critical need for safe, effective, and accessible alternatives for pain relief for underserved/at-risk populations. Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) reduce inflammation and pain independent of weight loss, indicating that diet interventions offer a non-pharmacological alternative. However, racial differences exist in metabolism that are rarely addressed in diet intervention studies. Therefore, a LCD may have greater pain-reducing effects in NHBs and provide an alternative treatment for pain. This will be the first study to examine the efficacy of these diets to reduce knee OA pain with an emphasis on race and interactions with biopsychosocial variables. Aim 1: To investigate the efficacy of the LCD to reduce pain and improve QOL. Hypothesis 1: The LCD group will show significantly greater reductions in: self-reported pain and evoked pain when compared to the USDA diet. Hypothesis 2: The LCD group will show greater improvements in: QOL, mood, and self-reported improvement. Hypothesis 3: Both diets will result in improved pain disability, severity, catastrophizing and pain-related fear; the LCD will outperform the USDA diet. Objective 2: To explore racial differences in diet effects and baseline measures. Hypothesis 1: NHBs will show greater improvements in pain, QOL, and mood. Hypothesis 2: NHBs will report greater food insecurity and less proximity to grocery stores. Hypothesis 3: Diet quality will be negatively associated with baseline pain sensitivity. Objective 3: To determine whether physiological variables contribute to diet effects or lack thereof. Hypothesis 1: Baseline physiological measures will predict: pain sensitivity and reductions in pain. NHBs will show greater inflammation at baseline than NHWs. Hypothesis 2: Change in physiological measures will be related to: change in pain, change in QOL, self-reported improvement and mood. NHWs will show greater reductions in inflammation and adiposity than NHBs.
Diet Interventions, by Race, Evaluated as Complementary Treatments for Pain
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University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.
40 Years to 75 Years
ALL
No
University of Alabama at Birmingham,
Robert E Sorge, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Alabama at Birmingham
2027-06-30