The daily use of avocado-soybean unsaponifiable-expanscience (ASU-E) reduces the progression of joint space narrowing in patients with hip osteoarthritis.
The conducted trial was a prospective, randomised, double-blind study with parallel groups under placebo control over three years. The participants included symptomatic hip osteoarthritis patients having experienced pain for a minimum of one year and featuring a joint space width (JSW) between 1 and 4 mm in the affected hip. Participants were assigned randomly to a daily intake of 300 mg ASU-E or a placebo. Annual pelvic radiographs in standing position were performed, with the primary focus on the change in JSW at the end of year three.
Despite no significant difference in mean JSW loss between the ASU-E group and placebo, fewer progressors (patients with JSW loss of 0.5mm or more) were recorded in the ASU-E group, marking a 20% decrease compared to the placebo group. This indicates a potential therapeutic effect of ASU-E on the structural integrity of hip joints in osteoarthritis patients. However, clinical outcome comparisons did not yield any significant differences between the groups. The safety profile of ASU-E was determined to be excellent.
