Current location:Earth Enquirer news portal > health
Blood test could detect osteoarthritis in the knees eight years before it appears on X
Earth Enquirer news portal2024-05-21 13:36:41【health】2People have gathered around
IntroductionA blood test could detect osteoarthritis in the knees up to eight years before it appears on X-rays
A blood test could detect osteoarthritis in the knees up to eight years before it appears on X-rays – leading to hopes for a preventative treatment.
The condition – thought to affect more than five million people in the UK – occurs when cartilage in the knee joint breaks down, causing it to become painful and stiff.
The disease is usually not found until it has already caused structural damage to the joint.
Surgery has been the only option available for many, with more than 120,000 knee replacements performed in the UK each year.
But the new test, which can spot the condition years in advance, could provide a 'window of opportunity' to restore joint health.
A blood test could detect osteoarthritis in the knees up to eight years before it appears on X-rays – leading to hopes for a preventative treatment (stock image)
But the new test, which can spot the condition years in advance, could provide a 'window of opportunity' to restore joint health (stock image)
The disease is usually not found until it has already caused structural damage to the joint (stock image)
Professor Virginia Kraus, from Duke University School of Medicine, said: 'Currently, you've got to have an abnormal X-ray to show clear evidence of knee osteoarthritis, and by the time it shows up on your X-ray, your disease has been progressing for some time.
'What our blood test demonstrates is that it's possible to detect this disease much earlier than current diagnostics permit.'
The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain, stiffness and problems moving the joint. Some people also experience swelling, tenderness and grating or crackling sounds when moving.
Almost any joint can be affected, but it most often causes problems in the knees, hips and small joints of the hands. The researchers analysed blood serum from 200 women – half diagnosed with osteoarthritis and the other half without the disease.
The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, showed biomarkers – signatures in the blood – that distinguished the women with knee osteoarthritis from those without it.
The test caught signs of the condition up to eight years before many of the women were diagnosed by X-ray.
Surgery has been the only option available for many, with more than 120,000 knee replacements performed in the UK each year (stock image)
The researchers analysed blood serum from 200 women – half diagnosed with osteoarthritis and the other half without the disease (stock image)
'This is important because it provides evidence that there are abnormalities in the joint that can be detected by blood biomarkers well before X-rays can detect osteoarthritis,' Professor Kraus added.
'Early-stage osteoarthritis could provide a window of opportunity in which to arrest the disease process and restore joint health.'
There are currently no cures for osteoarthritis, but the success of future therapies could hinge on identifying the disease early and slowing its progression.
The cause is unknown, but older age, obesity, and being a woman are thought to increase the risk.
Address of this article:http://belarus.triple-v.org/html-98c499480.html
Very good!(713)
Related articles
- Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America
- Pregnant Jenna Dewan puts her bump on display in figure
- Chris Hemsworth set to be honoured with a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Vinnie Jones 'to discuss new romance' with Emma Ford in second series of In The Country
- Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi could reverberate across the Middle East
- Bella Hadid displays her jaw
- The Paralympics open in 100 days. Paris organizers are launching a campaign to boost ticket sales
- After the only hospital in town closed, a North Carolina city directs its ire at politicians
- Yu Darvish extends scoreless innings streak to 25 in Padres' 9
- Bella Hadid displays her jaw
Popular articles
Recommended
Socialite Jasmine Hartin enjoys beach snuggle with electrician hunk
Will Smith reveals how his Bad Boys: Ride or Die co
Shohei Ohtani delivers a walk
Elizabeth Hurley, 58, displays her incredible figure in a white bikini on holiday
Yvette Fielding says her Most Haunted co
Nepal's prime minister wins confidence vote in parliament, his fourth since taking office
Nick Jonas reveals his newly
Trump hush money trial: Michael Cohen returns for more questioning
Links
- Prince Harry and Meghan to visit Nigeria in May for Invictus Games talks
- Seeking engagement and purpose, corporate employees turn to workplace volunteering
- Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla says playoff basketball doesn't change much from regular season
- Strictly Come Dancing star 'set to join Celebrity Gogglebox with his younger brother and dad'
- One Extraordinary Photo: AP photographer uses remote camera to make soaring NBA shot
- Stars breathe new life into series with the Golden Knights entering Game 4
- Lille boosts Champions League hopes with 2
- A Florida sheriff says 10 people were wounded by gunfire after a fight broke out at a party venue
- Chicago White Sox promote right
- Strictly Come Dancing star 'set to join Celebrity Gogglebox with his younger brother and dad'