ab224015

The association of milk consumption with the occurrence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

C. Kaçar, E. Gilgil, T. Tuncer, B. Bütün, S. Urhan, G. Sünbüloglu, Ç. Yildirim, V. Arikan, Ü. Dündar, M.C. Öksüz, I. Tekeoglu

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Rheumatology, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.

ABSTRACT
Objective
To evaluate the association of nutritional factors with symptomatic knee OA.

Methods
This cross-sectional study was performed face-to-face using a structured interview. Individuals who had a diagnosis of symptomatic knee OA and were aged 50 years or over were included in this study. The frequency of consumption of dairy products, meat/poultry, fish, cereals, vegetables, tea and coffee were also determined. The diagnosis of knee OA was made clinically or clinically and radiologically according to the ACR criteria for knee OA.

Results
A total of 655 subjects was interviewed. The frequency of symptomatic knee OA was significantly lower in daily milk consumers (p < 0.05). Tea consumption was also inversely associated with symptomatic knee OA (p < 0.05), although other nutritional elements showed no significant relationship with OA.

Conclusion
Milk consumption may have beneficial effects on symptomatic knee OA.

Key words
Osteoarthritis, diet.

This study was supported by Akdeniz University Research Fund.
Please address correspondence to: Dr. Cahit Kaçar, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Rheumatology, 07058, Antalya, Turkey.
E-mail : ckacar@akdeniz.edu.tr