Chirag Soni

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disease, particularly affecting the knees. This condition is often managed through various treatments, including intra-articular injections such as corticosteroids (CS), hyaluronic acid (HA), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP has shown promising outcomes in recent studies although it does lack strong endorsement in some clinical guidelines due to inconsistent results and lack of standardized results. This study was conducted to assess patient awareness and the frequency of PRP offered for the treatment of knee OA, compared to CS and HA. In a cross-sectional study, 46 knee OA patients were surveyed regarding their knowledge and experiences of CS, HA, and PRP injections. The questionnaires were administered between September 2022 and February 2023. Additionally, the study evaluated the severity of patients knee OA, using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index, and gathered demographic information from the participants. CS injections were offered to 93.5%, and 100% of participants had previously heard of this type of injection. HA injections were offered to 37%, and 65.9% of participants had heard of them. PRP was offered to 2%, and 6.5% had ever heard of it. This study underscores the limited awareness and utilization of PRP among knee OA patients. Patients and physicians need to be more informed of all of the treatment options available for knee OA, especially orthobiologics such as PRP. Future research in larger, diverse populations is needed.

Hypertension and atherosclerosis are debilitating diseases that affect millions each year. Long-term consequences include but are not limited to stroke, myocardial infarction, and kidney failure. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a proinflammatory mediator synthesized from a subclass of phosphatidylcholines that increases platelet activation, leukocyte adhesion, infiltration of macrophages, and intracellular lipid accumulation, thereby contributing to atherosclerosis. Magnesium, a key micronutrient and free radical scavenger, is a water-soluble mineral that regulates peripheral vasodilation and calcium, phosphate, and hydroxyapatite homeostasis. Magnesium’s antihypertensive ability stems from its role as a natural calcium antagonist and promoter of vasodilatory mediators, such as nitric oxide. Platelet-activating factor and magnesium share an inverse relationship, and elevated magnesium levels have been shown to have protective effects against plaque formation as well as antihypertensive and antiarrhythmic effects, all of which allow for healthier aging. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the role of platelet-activating factor and magnesium in the pathophysiology of hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and aging. Since the pathophysiology of the platelet-activating factor biomolecule is underexplored, further research studies are warranted in order to navigate the putative signaling pathways involved in the cardioprotective effects of dietary magnesium as a natural anti-PAF agent.