Do you have knee pain and are overweight?
If so, you might qualify to take part in Weight Loss and Exercise for Communities with Arthritis in North Carolina, or WE-CAN, a clinical trial.
Wake Forest University has received a $6 million grant to enable health and science researchers to further study knee osteoarthritis and successful treatment measures in community settings. Johnston County is one of three communities in the study.
Obesity is a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis, and weight loss is an effective treatment to reduce pain.
This study aims to develop a practical, cost-effective, diet-induced weight loss and exercise intervention that communities can implement to reduce pain and improve other clinical outcomes in knee osteoarthritis patients.
To qualify to take part, you must be at least 50 years old, overweight and meet the American College of Rheumatology clinical criteria for knee osteoarthritis.
This free 18-month program may include healthy lifestyle and guidance programs or a supervised exercise and weight-loss program.
Many physicians who treat people with knee OA have no practical means to implement weight-loss and exercise treatments. This study will test the effectiveness of a community program to reduce knee pain through weight loss and exercise.
Clinical trials are research studies in which people help medical professionals find ways to improve health. Each study tries to answer specific scientific questions and is designed to find safe and effective ways to better prevent, diagnose and, or treat disease.
Volunteers in clinical trials have the opportunity to be involved in important research that might bring about advances in health care that will have a significant public health impact.
For more details, go to wecan.phs.wakehealth.edu/index.cfm. Interested participants may email wecan@wfu.edu or call 919-989-8003 or 919-989-8005.
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