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Osteoarthritis
Possible Causes of OA
Possible Causes of OA
According
to the American College of Rheumatology osteoarthritis most often
affects middle-aged and older people. However the average age of people
that responded to our survey was 35-45 and several were diagnosed in
their teen years. That made me wonder what leads to OA in younger
people? I soon found out that there are many factors that lead to the
development of osteoarthritis.
Although
OA is common worldwide certain ethnic groups have a higher risks of
developing OA. For instance, Caucasians have
a higher risk than Asians. Osteoarthritis
in the hips is very common in the US, but the risk is lower in Asia or
some Middle Eastern countries. So simply being Caucasian can increase
your chance of developing OA.
Gender
also plays an important role. Before age 45, osteoarthritis
occurs more frequently in males. After age 55, it develops more often in
females. In one Dutch study, at the maximum age of osteoarthritis
prevalence, nearly 30% of women and 8.5% of men showed signs of osteoarthritis
in the knee. Why? The cause for this gender difference in the higher
rate of arthritic knees in women may be high-heeled shoes. One study
indicated that wearing shoes with 2 1/2-inch heels or higher forces
women to alter the way they normally maintain balance and puts strain on
the areas between the kneecap and thigh bone and on the inside of the
knee joint. If you are still wearing high heels, get rid of them! The
younger males developing OA has traditionally been blamed on high impact
sports, if this is the case than those statistics should be changing
soon. Females seem to be playing high impact sports just as often as
males now a days.
Obesity
is another factor. Knees, for example, sustain an impact three to
five times the body weight when descending stairs. If you weigh 200
pounds, that is 600-1000 pounds banging on those knees. If you are
obese, any loss of weight will be beneficial. A loss of only five pounds
can eliminate at 15-25 pounds of stressful impact on the knees.
Genetics
appear to play an important role in the development of OA. One
study found that a genetic factor may be involved in 30% of people with osteoarthritis
in the hand and 65% of those with osteoarthritis
in the knees. In another study, researchers reported a higher
correlation of osteoarthritis
between parents and children or between siblings than between husbands
and wives. Researchers have also found a genetic defect that seems to
promote a breakdown of the cartilage's protective structure.
A
number of people have anatomical abnormalities, such as mismatched
surfaces on the joints, which could be damaged over time by abnormal
stress. Legs of unequal length or skewed feet can cause jerky movement
and may induce osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis
can sometimes develop after trauma to or near a joint. Repeated
stressful motions can also contribute to deterioration of cartilage as
can muscle weakness. Weak muscles don?t support the joint properly and
can lead to uneven wear. Other forms of arthritis can lead to OA. For
instance, if all of us with RA were to be cured tomorrow, most would
have OA as a result of the inflammation and erosion of RA.
As
more and more baby boomers develop OA, more and more research will be
done to find out the causes, potential treatments and ways to prevent
it. The next few years will likely produce a plethora of information
regarding osteoarthritis.
References:
Well-Connected Report-Osteoarthritis, Copyright ? Nidus Information
Services, Inc. 1999
American College of Rheumatology
Understanding Arthritis, The Arthritis Foundation, ? 1984
Arthritis Foundation
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal diseases,
Handout On Health-Osteoarthritis
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