HOPE-c
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hand Osteoarthritis: investigating Pain trajectories and association with biomarkers including Estrogen cohort
IRAS ID
256496
Contact name
Fiona Watt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Clinical Trials & Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
7 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is common - 6% of the UK population aged over 45 years have sought treatment for the condition. Individuals living with hand OA experience pain, deformity and reduced function, which can affect their engagement with work, hobbies and overall quality of life. There is no cure at present. The medications that are currently available for hand OA are limited (most commonly simple painkillers and steroid injections) and aim to control pain rather than influencing long-term outcomes.
We need to learn more about why people have different experiences of pain in hand OA. Pain appears to improve over time in some individuals, whilst in others it may remain stable or worsen. In addition, some people report flares in their hand pain, but not everyone experiences this. Understanding the factors that predict the future course of pain would enable us to better inform our patients and may influence their decisions about occupation and lifestyle choices.
Hand OA is more common in women and it increases as people age, with a peak in new cases around the time of menopause (when estrogen levels fall). This suggests that sex hormones may be important in the development of hand OA. We also know that sex hormones influence how both men and women sense pain.
This study is funded by Versus Arthritis and is looking to recruit men and women with painful hand osteoarthritis in Oxford and London. Participants will be asked to score hand pain daily for six months and attend between four and seven appointments during this time for measurements of hand pain, function, quality of life, mood and hormonal symptoms. We will ask participants to have a hand X-ray, blood tests and offer hand ultrasound.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1888
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion