Osteoarthritis and Spironolactone

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is well known as the “wear and tear” arthritis because it is a condition in which the cartilage on the end of bones wear down over time. This causes severe pain and discomfort. It is most common in the elderly population because of the many years their bones have rubbed together. This rubbing together of the bones causes the cartilage to eventually become very thin in areas such as the hips, knees, hands, neck and lower back.

Spironolactone

Spironolactone is a well known  drug that has been used for heart conditions, acne and others conditions for over 40 years. Throughout the years, it has been used countless times and has been deemed a relatively safe drug by medical professionals. It is also an inexpensive drug.

There being no cure for osteoarthritis, treatment aims to ease the pain and relief some of the stiffness that comes along with the disease. Researchers at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom speculate that Spironolactone could possibly fulfill this purpose. There has never before been a study done to examine the effectiveness of this heart drug on osteoarthritis. However, other studies have been done on spironolactone that suggest this heart drug might be a candidate for osteoarthritis treatment.

Researchers at Dundee are collecting a group of 86 people over the age of 70 that have knee pain and osteoarthritis. They are to give half the group the heart drug and the other half a placebo. Over the course of three months, researchers will record the pain level, stiffness, quality of life and level of activity of the participants. They will also take blood tests before and after the study to look for differences in inflammation in the joints.

This is a new study, in which, the outcomes are unknown. However, participants in this study have a better chance of straying from negative side effects because Spironolactone is already known to be safe. If researchers at Dundee get their predicted results, this heart drug can be a cheaper, safer treatment plan for those suffering from osteoarthritis. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, visit Care Club and get feeling better today!