# Fats, Fiber and Osteoarthritis

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2020 · $404,512

## Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis affecting millions of Americans; there is a paucity
of effective treatments. Inflammation is critical factor affecting pain in OA and also causing structural
deterioration in the joint. Dietary factors can modify inflammation and it is the goal of this project to test
evidence regarding specific dietary factors that can affect inflammation and for which there is evidence linking
that dietary factor to OA. Among factors to be studied include specific fatty acids whose effects on
inflammation differ. Among those to be examined are Omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory
effects and saturated fatty acids, which can enhance inflammation and have been shown in animal studies to
accelerate the development of OA. LDL cholesterol has also been linked to OA in ex vivo human and animal
studies and we will also examine its with OA. Circulating fatty acid profiles and LDL have not been assessed
for their effects on OA in longitudinal human studies.
 For dietary fiber, numerous studies have pointed to a protective effect on diabetes, heart disease and even
mortality. Dietary fiber may reduce systemic inflammation and reduce weight and in recent work from 2 studies,
we have found preliminary evidence that dietary fiber intake reduces risk of knee OA. We want to pursue this
finding with more definitive work.
 The overall goal of the proposed project is to comprehensively and longitudinally evaluate whether
circulating fatty acid profiles, LDL and fiber modify the risk of symptomatic knee OA. What ties together these
factors is that they are all factors affecting inflammation and all modifiable through dietary alterations,
something that is inexpensive and greatly desired by patients. To ask these questions we shall take advantage
of data from the MOST cohort study, a longitudinal study of 3,026 persons with or at risk of knee OA evaluated
for OA serially over 60 months. Baseline biological samples obtained after an overnight fast will allow us to test
the associations of fatty acids, LDL and alkylresorcinol, a biomarker of fiber intake, with incident OA. For each
of the dietary measures we shall study the incidence of symptomatic OA which is the phenotype of OA with
clinical and public health importance consisting of the combination of pain and radiographic OA.
 There is already preliminary bench science data supporting the association of the dietary factors we
are studying. Positive findings from this project will provide sufficient data to warrant clinical trials testing
specific dietary treatments for OA and offering the realistic possibility that dietary modifications may enter the
therapeutic armamentarium for OA.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9929544
- **Project number:** 5R01AR071950-04
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID Tobin FELSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $404,512
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9929544

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9929544, Fats, Fiber and Osteoarthritis (5R01AR071950-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9929544. Licensed CC0.

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