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June 14, 2022by adminCovid-19

OSTEOARTHRITIS FACTS

Most Common Form of Arthritis

An estimated 32.5 million American adults have OA.

Arthritis comes in more than 100 different forms. But osteoarthritis is by far the most common. OA affects:
Unlike many forms of arthritis, OA is not an autoimmune disease. It’s considered a degenerative disease.

Types of Osteoarthritis

The two main types of osteoarthritis are defined by what causes the condition.

  • Primary OA has no known underlying cause or genetic predisposition. It’s sometimes called idiopathic OA.
  • Secondary OA is caused by another medical condition or trauma to the joint such as a sports injury or repetitive use.

Medical conditions that can lead to secondary OA include:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Gout
  • Infectious arthritis
  • Genetic joint disorders (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)

Most Commonly Affected Joints

OA can affect any joint. It’s more common in the ones that are used more and are prone to injuries or repetitive stress trauma.

The joints that are most commonly involved in OA are:

  • Knees
  • Hips
  • Hands
  • Feet and ankles
  • Back and neck

Sex Differences

The sex you were assigned at birth makes a difference in your OA risk.

  • In people under 45, OA is more common in males
  • In people 45 and older, OA is more common in females
  • 62% of people with OA are female

Females are more than 40% more likely than males to have knee OA. After age 60 the prevalence rates are:

  • 10% of males
  • 13% of females

Research suggests that the differences may be due to:

  • Fluctuations of female hormones
  • A tendency for females to carry more weight
  • Different ways of moving lead to greater joint strain
  • Differences in the musculoskeletal symptom (e.g., less knee cartilage than males)

Osteoarthritis and Mortality Risk

You usually don’t think of arthritis as a killer disease. But osteoarthritis is associated with an increased risk of death from:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Diabetes
  • Kidney disease

Major Cause of Disability

Many people find themselves sidelined when they develop knee osteoarthritis. It’s among the leading causes of disability in people over 60.

  • About 80% of people with OA have a limited range of motion.
  • About 25% cannot perform activities of daily living.
  • 30% say it’s hard to stoop, bend, or kneel
  • 20% have trouble walking 3 blocks or handling large objects

Working-age people with OA are unemployed more often than people without OA. This is likely because of OA-related limitations.

Genetics and OA

OA is believed to have a genetic component. Researchers say about 20-35% of knee OA and between 40% and 80% of hip and hand OA may be determined by genetics.

So far, 90 locations on the human genome have been linked to the development of OA. More important, though, are changes in gene expression (epigenetics) that happen throughout your life.

Ancestry and ethnicity play a role as well:

  • Black Americans are the most likely to have symptomatic knee OA
  • Hip OA is lower in people with Asian heritage

Imaging Findings

Not everyone with evidence of OA on imaging tests has symptoms.

For example, about 80% of people over age 55 have X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis. But only about 60% of them have symptoms.

The degree of damage visible on an X-ray isn’t always relevant, either. X-rays don’t detect early cartilage damage. Sometimes a person with severe pain has minimal findings.

X-rays do show:

  • Narrowed space between joints, where cartilage has worn away
  • Bone spurs, which are common in degenerating joint
  • Increased bone density (subchondral sclerosis), which is often found around narrowed joint spaces.

Affects Overall Health

Osteoarthritis is often not the only health problem someone has. Approximately 40% of adults diagnosed with knee OA report that their health is either poor or fair.

Fall-related injuries can have a major impact on health. In one study, more than 50% of people with knee OA said they’d fallen in the previous year.

Researchers found a worse health-related quality of life in people with knee OA and a history of falling than in other groups.

One in five falls leads to a serious injury. Falls can cause broken bones and head injuries. They’re especially dangerous for someone taking blood thinners.