The influence of zinc and iron intake on osteoarthritis patients' subchondral sclerosis progression: A prospective observational study using data from the osteoarthritis Initiative

Zheng Z, Luo H, Sun C, Xue Q · Heliyon

Each additional 1 mg/1000 kcal of zinc intake was associated with slightly lower odds of subchondral trabecular deterioration (OR 0.958-0.967 across the three microarchitecture measures) — an observational signal in favour of dietary zinc on one bone-not-cartilage endpoint.

Population

Knee OA patients in the Osteoarthritis Initiative Bone Ancillary Study (216 women, 258 men, mean age 64), MRI trabecular morphometry follow-up

Intervention

Dietary-plus-supplement zinc intake by food-frequency questionnaire (quartile 1 <5.9, quartile 4 >18.4 mg/day per 1000 kcal)

Comparator

Lower zinc intake

Limitations

Full text read: FFQ self-report; subchondral trabecular microarchitecture is a surrogate, not cartilage or symptoms; per-mg effect sizes are tiny; findings interact with sex, age and calcium intake in subgroups.