More than 20 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, with half a million Americans having a total joint replacement each year.
A new study to be published in the April 2008 edition (Volume 22, issue No 4) of the journal of Phytotherapy Research shows Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, was shown to reduce all osteoarthritis symptoms by 56 percent.
The study revealed a particularly high efficacy of Pycnogenol for lowering joint pain by 55 percent.
Moreover, patients
required dramatically less standard pain medication (-58 percent),
which greatly improved the gastrointestinal complications resulting
from the pain medication by 63 percent.
"Pycnogenol seemed a natural fit for this study," said Dr.
Gianni Belcaro, a lead researcher of the study. "There are a few main
components contributing to the clinical picture of treatment management
in osteoarthritis: inflammation causing a progression in the disease,
alteration of fatigue resistance and muscular performance - reversing
and blocking the vascular problems associated to altered mobility."
"Theoretically, a treatment with a compound specifically active on all
those aspects could be highly effective, which is why we chose
Pycnogenol."
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, held
at Italy's Chieti-Pescara University, sampled 156 patients with
osteoarthritis of the knee (OA). Patients were administered 100 mg
Pycnogenol or placebo, daily for three months. Symptoms were evaluated
by WOMAC index scores and mobility by recording their walking
performance on a treadmill.
Patients were permitted to continue taking
their choice of pain medication provided they recorded every tablet in
a diary for later evaluation.
To describe and rate osteoarthritis symptoms (joint pain,
stiffness and physical function), WOMAC questionnaires were evaluated
by the investigator and patient at the start and after three months of
treatment. Patients were trained on a treadmill test and performance
evaluation was recorded on total distance that could be covered without
pain. Measuring foot volume by the water-displacement method was used
to evaluate ankle/foot edema in a randomly selected subgroup of
subjects within the two treatment groups.
After three months, scores for pain dropped significantly for
the Pycnogenol treatment group and no significant effects were recorded
for the placebo group. Scores for stiffness were reduced by 53 percent.
The scores for physical function were reduced by 57 percent in the
Pycnogenol group and improvement under placebo was not significant.
The
global WOMAC score decreased following Pycnogenol treatment and very
little in the placebo group, from 56 percent vs. 9.6 percent for
Pycnogenol and placebo, respectively. Overall well-being of patients
(emotional function) was significantly enhanced with the Pycnogenol
group, by 64 percent and 15 percent for the placebo group.
Results of exercise tests on the treadmill demonstrated an
increased performance after three months of Pycnogenol treatment. At
the start of the study, patients could only walk a mean of 74 yards
without feeling pain and after three months, they could walk 216 yards,
compared to the placebo group that noted 71 yards at the beginning of
the study and 96 yards at the end.
In addition to the osteoarthritis results, 76 percent of the
patients in the Pycnogenol group and 79 percent in the placebo group
showed visible ankle and foot edema at inclusion of the study. After
the three months, edema decreased in 79 percent of the Pycnogenol
patients and only one percent in placebo-treated patients.
Patients were allowed to use their regular dosage of NSAIDS.
Usage dropped by 58 percent during treatment with Pycnogenol and one
percent with the placebo. Evaluation of data demonstrated a decrease of
gastrointestinal complications of 64 percent in the Pycnogenol group
versus three percent in placebo.
"The results of this study are significant as they clearly
demonstrate the clinical action of Pycnogenol on OA and management of
symptoms. The use of Pycnogenol many reduce costs and side effects of
anti-inflammatory agents and offer a natural alternative solution to
people suffering from OA" said Dr. Belcaro.
A previous study on osteoarthritis which was carried out at
the University of Arizona Tucson (published in Nutrition Research) had
discovered that Pycnogenol was effective for improving pain and joint
function. After three months in the Pycnogenol group, there was a
reduction of 43 percent in pain, 35 percent in stiffness, 52 percent in
physical function subscales, respectively.
The placebo group showed no
significant scores throughout the entire study. Dr. Belcaro confirms
this earlier study with a much larger number of patients and with a
more detailed investigation procedure.
The benefits of Pycnogenol for arthritic joints are suggested
to result predominantly from the anti-inflammatory potency of
Pycnogenol which was demonstrated in a series of clinical
investigations in the past. There are more breakthrough studies on
Pycnogenol and osteoarthritis expected to be published next year
allowing for development of innovative, natural formulas for joint
health. Additionally, Horphag Research, the exclusive worldwide
distributor of Pycnogenol has filed for several patents for
Pycnogenol's application for COX-1, COX-2 and treating osteoarthritis.
"The new research in the field of osteoarthritis has been a
paradigm shift for Pycnogenol. We were able to demonstrate Pycnogenol's
impact on all inflammatory parameters and have succeeded in providing
strong clinical evidence of Pycnogenol efficacy in this field. It is
obvious that Pycnogenol will have to be considered as an innovative
ingredient of choice for the joint health market," said Victor Ferrari,
CEO of Horphag Research, the exclusive worldwide supplier of
Pycnogenol.
Notes:
Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract originating from the bark
of the maritime pine that grows along the coast of southwest France and
is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids
and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits.
The
extract has been widely studied for the past 35 years and has more than
220 published studies and review articles ensuring safety and efficacy
as an ingredient. Today, Pycnogenol is available in more than 600
dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide. For
more information, visit http://www.pycnogenol.com/.
Natural Health Science Inc. (NHS), based in Hoboken, New Jersey, is the
North American distributor for Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all) brand French
maritime pine bark extract on behalf of Horphag Research.
Pycnogenol is a registered trademark of Horphag Research Ltd., Guernsey, and its applications are protected by U.S. patents #5,720,956 / #6,372,266 and other international patents.
NHS has the exclusive rights to market and sell Pycnogenol in North America and benefits from more than 35 years of scientific research assuring the safety and efficacy of Pycnogenol as a dietary supplement. For more information about Pycnogenol visit our Web site at http://www.pycnogenol.com/