TABLE 1.
General characteristics of the study participants in the l-serine (l-Ser) + EPA supplementation group and the placebo group at week 01
| l-Ser + EPA (n = 60) | Placebo (n = 60) | |
|---|---|---|
| Participants men/women (menopause) | 18/42 (5) | 18/42 (6) |
| Age, y | 40.3 ± 11.0 | 41.4 ± 10.9 |
| Height, cm | 163 ± 9 | 163 ± 9 |
| Weight, kg | 59.1 ± 9.3 | 60.6 ± 13.0 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 22.3 ± 3.1 | 22.7 ± 3.2 |
| JLEQ-I2 | 42.9 ± 15.7 | 41.6 ± 16.0 |
| JLEQ score3 | 28.4 ± 13.4 | 27.3 ± 12.1 |
| JKOM-I4 | 34.8 ± 17.4 | 31.3 ± 15.6 |
| JKOM score5 | 18.2 ± 9.3 | 18.4 ± 7.9 |
| JOA | 21.4 ± 2.6 | 21.8 ± 2.2 |
1Mean age, height, weight, BMI, and JLEQ, JKOM, and JOA scores at baseline are demonstrated. Data are expressed as means ± SDs. JKOM, Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure; JLEQ, Japan Low Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire; JOA, Japanese Orthopedic Association; VAS, visual analogue scale.
2JLEQ-I: VAS for the degree of low-back pain.
3The JLEQ score is the sum of the JLEQ-II, -III, and -IV scores.
4JKOM-I: VAS for the degree of knee pain.
5The JKOM score is the sum of the JKOM-II, -III, -IV, and -V scores.