الفهرس Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 142 |  |  |
| | | from | 142 | | |
Abstract
Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Aging in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Aging can affect any system in the human body, such as the cardiovascular, central nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The musculoskeletal system consists of bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Regarding the joints, age-related joint changes or ”degenerative joint disease” accounts for 25% of visits to primary care physicians, and half of all NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) prescriptions in the United States alone. It is estimated that 80% of the population will have radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (OA) by age 65, although only 60% of those will be symptomatic.
Unfortunately, conventional medicine has never developed an effective approach to treating these changes. Many people with a mild case of degenerative joint disease are simply told to ignore the condition and to avoid doing any activities that may cause pain or discomfort. People
Summary ________________________________________
who have a more severe case are in an even worse position. The drugs most often used to combat these changes are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Over-the-counter NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, can cause gastrointestinal upset, while prescription NSAIDs, such as rofecoxib and valdecoxib, were recently proved to raise the risk of heart attack and stroke and were removed from the market by their manufacturers.
While the search for a drug that is a “magic bullet” continues, there is a wealth of data on the value of natural therapies to treat degenerative joint disease. Natural anti-inflammatory agents have been found to reduce the swelling and pain associated with the disease, while other nutrients supply the underlying building blocks of joints and reduces the oxidative damage caused by the loss of joint cartilage.
According to a recent research, oxidative stress seems to play a role in age-related joint changes. Researchers found that human cartilage in patients with degenerative joint disease was significantly deficient in
Summary ________________________________________
superoxide dismutase, a major free-radical scavenger. Researchers found also that joint fluid antioxidants are decreased in osteoarthritic joints compared to joints with macroscopically intact cartilage and subacute injury.
Because of the clear connection between oxidative stress and degenerative joint disease, it is believed that antioxidants including vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin C, enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, trace metals such as zinc and selenium, carotenoids such as lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin, hormones such as melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, bioflavonoids such as quercitin and food stuffs with antioxidant activity such as green tea, soy bean and turmeric might have a role in preventing and decreasing the risk of age-related joint changes.
These statements have not been evaluated yet by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so all these supplements should not be launched without the supervision of a qualified physician because these supplements may have adverse effects.