מתוך medicontext.co.il
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Treatment with a highly purified ginger extract can safely reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, according to a recent report. However, in a related editorial, the appropriateness of the primary outcome measure used in this study is questioned.
Dr. K. C. Marcussen, from Narayana Research in Winter, Wisconsin, and Dr. R. D. Altman, from the University of Miami, assessed the outcomes of 247 patients with OA of the knee who were randomized to receive ginger extract, administered orally twice a day, or placebo for 6 weeks. All of the patients had moderate-to-severe knee pain.
A significantly greater percentage of patients in the ginger group than in the placebo group experienced pain reduction on standing (p = 0.048). The average reductions in pain on standing and on walking were also greater in the ginger group (p = 0.005 and 0.016, respectively).
Change in global status and reduction in intake of rescue medication were greater in the ginger group than in the placebo group, the investigators state in the November issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism. However, the change in quality of life for the two groups was the same. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common in the ginger group, but most of these were mild.
While the current findings suggest that ginger extract may be an effective treatment for OA knee pain, the authors emphasize that further studies are needed to address the long-term effects.
In a related editorial, Dr. Donald M. Marcus and Dr. Maria E. Suarez-Almazor, from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, comment that the beneficial effects of ginger reported in the current study were small and inconsistent.
The researchers used pain on standing as the primary outcome measure, the editorialists note. However, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) is typically used as the primary outcome measure in most trials for this condition. In the current study, the WOMAC results did not differ between the two treatments.
"We believe that ginger should not be recommended at present for treatment of arthritis because of the limited efficacy shown in this study, its lack of clear efficacy in a previous trial, and the lack of meaningful information about its safety," Dr. Marcus and Dr. Suarez-Almazor conclude.
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