Abstract
The purpose of this clinical study was to determine whether gold nanoparticle (AuNP) supplementation at a dosage of 0.34 mg elemental gold per day can improve knee joint health, function, and quality of life for arthritis patients. A total of 51 participants (24 male and 27 female, age 62.1 ± 13.1) were followed for 20 weeks through a three-phase longitudinal study. Both subjective and objective parameters were used to measure changes in joint health and function, as well as quality of life. The study found patients' Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) improved with statistical significance. It was reported that 71.42% of the cohort experienced improvements in their perceived knee pain and 61.22% with improvements in knee stiffness. Majority of objective measurements such as pain with range of motion and specific exercises requiring proper knee health and function did not show statistically significant improvement but did show a positive improving trend in support of AuNP supplement. Study cohort showed statistically significant improvements in two specific exercises: sit-to-stand and single-leg squat. By the end of the study, 70% of the study cohort indicated that they would continue to take the supplement even after the study concluded. Though the study has limitations and is not definitely conclusive, it was the first clinical study to show that oral micro-dosage of AuNP as low as 0.34 mg daily is safe and effective for both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. This study opened way for the use of AuNP in both clinical and daily settings to improve joint health and function for both average and athletic users.