Preventing knee osteoarthritis in adult women through weight loss and exercise
Official title: The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study (TOPS)
Funded at Wake Forest University · NIH-10903822 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for women over 50 who are overweight and have little to no knee pain to try a program that combines healthy eating and exercise to see if it can help prevent knee osteoarthritis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $2,435,017 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AR082121-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10903822 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adult females aged 50 and older who are overweight or obese and have little to no knee pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not female, under 50 years of age, or do not have obesity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on preventing knee osteoarthritis (OA) in adult females by implementing a program that combines dietary weight loss and exercise. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing the risk of developing OA, particularly in women over 50 who are overweight and have little to no knee pain. Participants will be involved in a randomized clinical trial that compares the intervention group to a control group receiving attention without the specific intervention. The research will also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this non-surgical approach to OA prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the incidence of knee osteoarthritis in at-risk women, improving their quality of life and reducing healthcare costs associated with OA treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that dietary weight loss and exercise can effectively manage knee OA symptoms, suggesting that this preventive approach may also be successful.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Messier, Stephen P — Wake Forest University
- Study coordinator: Messier, Stephen P
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.