Efficacy and Safety of Soybean and Avocado Unsaponifiables in the Treatment of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis represents a chronic irreversible degenerative joint disease, the prevalence of which increases with age. Various approaches are applied in therapy, including the administration of preparations aimed at reducing symptoms of the disease and slowing its progression. A recently published study provides current insights into the efficacy and safety of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Introduction
Osteoarthritis is currently a serious medical problem due to the increasing number of patients. Future healthcare expenditures associated with osteoarthritis therapy will continue to rise due to the ongoing trend of an aging population. There is currently no causal therapy for the disease, and the goal of symptomatic treatment is to slow disease progression, alleviate its symptoms, and postpone surgical intervention.
Unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil is indicated for the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis. The effects of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil include cartilage protection, anabolic, anti-catabolic, and anti-inflammatory effects. The main therapeutic component is phytosterols, specifically beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol. Other substances contained in the mixture include fat-soluble vitamins, triterpene alcohols, and presumably furan fatty acids.
A recently published systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials provide current evidence on the safety and efficacy of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil.
Results of the Analysis
The analysis included studies evaluating the administration of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis, wherein the assessed parameters included the evaluation of scores based on the Lequesne index, visual analog scale, and joint space width.
Significant pain reduction, assessed using the visual analog scale, was observed with the administration of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil, with a weighted mean difference of −9.64 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] −17.43 to −1.84; p = 0.02; I2 = 92%). Sub-analysis focusing on the location of osteoarthritis demonstrated significant pain score reduction on the visual analog scale and Lequesne index in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The weighted mean difference for pain reduction on the visual analog scale was −17.36 (95% CI −25.91 to −8.82; p < 0.0001; I2 = 87%), and for the Lequesne index was −2.33 (95% CI −2.88 to −1.78; p < 0.00001, I2 = 18%). In the hip osteoarthritis sub-analysis, statistically significant reductions in the assessed parameters were not achieved.
No statistically significant difference in the occurrence of adverse events compared to placebo was observed with the administration of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil (relative risk [RR] 1.02; 95% CI 0.83–1.25; p = 0.88; I2 = 0%).
Conclusion
The results of this study indicate that the administration of unsaponifiable soybean and avocado oil leads to a significant reduction in pain evaluation in patients with knee osteoarthritis based on the Lequesne index and visual analog scale. For patients with hip osteoarthritis, statistically significant reductions in the assessed parameters were not achieved in the analysis.
(holi)
Source: Simental-Mendía M., Sánchez-García A., Acosto-Olivo C. A. et al. Efficacy and safety of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables for the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Int J Rheum Dis 2019 Sep; 22 (9): 1607–1615. doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.13658.
Did you like this article? Would you like to comment on it? Write to us. We are interested in your opinion. We will not publish it, but we will gladly answer you.