High cholesterol promotes the development of osteoarthritis

Cholesterol damages the cartilage between our bones
Too much cholesterol is unhealthy for the human body. High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and some types of cancer. Researchers now found that too much cholesterol seems to be an additional burden on the cartilage between the bones. This can ultimately lead to the development of osteoarthritis.

The researchers from the Queensland University of Technology found in an investigation that high cholesterol increases the risk of osteoarthritis. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology" (FASEB).

Too much cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that high cholesterol levels also hurt our cartilage. This eventually leads to arthrosis. (Image: underdogstudios / fotolia.com)

What is cholesterol actually and where is it produced??
Cholesterol is a waxy substance and is mainly produced in the liver, although most other body cells can produce cholesterol. Cholesterol is important to human health. It is used by the body to produce hormones, vitamin D, bile acids and cell membranes, say the doctors. There are two main types of cholesterol. The good cholesterol HDL and the bad or unhealthy cholesterol LDL. HDL cholesterol removes LDL cholesterol from the circulation and transports it back to the liver for processing. The unhealthy cholesterol LDL is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, experts explain.

Doctors produce knee injuries in experimental animals as in people with osteoarthritis
Two groups of rodents were studied for the study. In one of the groups, the genes were altered so that the animals had high levels of cholesterol in their blood. The physicians performed a surgical intervention in the experimental animals with high cholesterol levels to produce similar knee injuries as in people with osteoarthritis. Animals with high cholesterol levels more often showed more severe disease development compared to animals with a normal cholesterol level, the researchers say.

High cholesterol levels can kill cells and lead to arthrosis
High cholesterol levels trigger so-called mitochondrial oxidative stress on human cartilage cells. As a result, these cells die and osteoarthritis develops, explains Dr. Indira Prasadam of the Queensland University of Technology.

Diet and medications can prevent osteoarthritis
The medical team has already begun working with dietitians to educate the public on a healthier diet. This should keep the cholesterol level at a manageable level. Thus, damage to the joints can be avoided. The scientists also found that the drug Atorvastatin is able to reduce the development of osteoarthritis. When the mice and rats were treated with the drug atorvastatin and mitochondrial targeted antioxidants, the development of osteoarthritis was reduced. (As)