Measurable early signs of aging are interesting because they can serve as an easier platform for the development of therapies: there are more patients, and the patients are more physically robust. Here, researchers show that wear and tear damage to cartilage can be seen as early as the 30s, particularly in people who are overweight. Cartilage damage remains a challenge for the medical community, though a range of efforts are underway to develop and assess regenerative therapies to address this issue. That younger people might be candidates for those therapies can only increase the incentives for developers.
Mild structural changes visible in knee MRI scans are already common among adults in their thirties - even in those without knee pain or other symptoms. A study found signs of joint damage in more than half of the 33-year-old participants. A high body mass index emerged as the most common factor associated with these changes. The participants were part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, with 297 individuals undergoing knee imaging. Each participant received a comprehensive health examination, provided blood samples, and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the knee. Their average age was 33.7 years.
The most common findings were minor articular cartilage defects, particularly between the kneecap and thighbone, observed in over half of those imaged. Cartilage defects were also found in the joint between the shinbone and thighbone in about a quarter of participants. In addition, small bone spurs, or osteophytes, were detected in more than half of the group, although these were generally small. Researchers identified a higher body mass index as the clearest factor linked to the MRI findings. Although most participants were asymptomatic, the findings suggest that structural changes in joints can occur before clear symptoms develop. The researchers stress the need for longitudinal studies to determine which factors predict the progression of these changes later in life.
Link: https://www.oulu.fi/en/news/early-structural-changes-knees-common-age-30-often-without-symptoms
View the full article at FightAging
