Less knee pain
- Published in
- JAMA 2013
- People studied
- 454
In a trial of 454 older adults with knee osteoarthritis, diet plus exercise led to less pain and better function than either alone.
- Checked against
- PubMed 24065013
- Published in
- JAMA 2013
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
454 adults aged 55 or older with overweight or obesity and painful knee osteoarthritis were randomly given diet plus exercise, diet alone, or exercise alone for 18 months. The diet plus exercise group lost about 11% of their weight and had less pain and better function than both other groups. Both diet groups had lower levels of IL-6, a marker of inflammation, than the exercise group.
At a glance
- Type of study
- randomised trial
- People studied
- 454
- How long
- 18 months
- Compared with
- diet alone, and exercise alone
- Main result
- Diet plus exercise: less pain and better function than either alone.
- Strength of evidence
- Randomised trials
What this study does not show
There was no group without any programme, so it compares programmes with each other. It was run at one US centre, in people aged 55 or older.
Results from studies in groups of people, mostly in diet and movement programmes. They cannot be promised to any one person. This information is educational and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
More on joints
- Less load on the kneeLong-term or observational studies · Messier et al., Arthritis Rheum 2005
- Lower risk of knee arthritisLong-term or observational studies · Felson et al., Ann Intern Med 1992
- Easier movementRandomised trials · Christensen et al., Ann Rheum Dis 2007
- Less knee painRandomised trials · Messier et al., JAMA 2013
- Slightly less knee painRandomised trials · Messier et al., JAMA 2022
- Better mobilityRandomised trials · Rejeski et al., NEJM 2012
- More weight lost, more reliefSmall or uncontrolled studies · Atukorala et al., Arthritis Care Res 2016
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