Latest News | Osteoarthritis Cases, Related Disability Up by over 130 Pc: Study

New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) Globally, cases of osteoarthritis and the resulting disability among menopausal women have increased by over 130 per cent in the last three decades, according to a study.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, show that an excess weight or body mass index accounted for about a fifth of the duration lived with disability resulting from the condition that steadily deteriorates joints.

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The researchers, including those from Hangzhou Medical College, China, said declining oestrogen levels in menopause affect skeletal health and are directly related to functioning and stability of joints.

Osteoarthritis affecting knee joints were found to be the most common type, associated with the highest loss of healthy living, followed by that affecting hands.

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The countries in East Asia and high-income Asia Pacific experienced the fastest increase in burden of the chronic condition, the study found.

While the most rapid rise in new cases of knee osteoarthritis was seen in Southeast Asia, the most rapid rise in prevalence was seen in East Asia.

The trends noted in East Asia "may be linked to rapid population ageing, (an) increased workforce participation and a surge in obesity rates due to urbanisation and changing lifestyles," the authors wrote.

However, "the high burden observed in high-income Asia Pacific could be attributed to advanced healthcare systems with better diagnostic capabilities, facilitating comprehensive identification and reporting of (osteoarthritis) cases", they wrote.

The findings highlighted the escalating burden of osteoarthritis among menopausal women and stressed on proactive measures, especially those promoting lifestyle adjustments for controlling BMI, the authors said.

Osteoarthritis was estimated to affect almost 600 million people in 2020, making up nearly eight per cent of the world's population and nearly a billion could be living with it in 2050, according to a 2023 study published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal.

For this analysis, the researchers looked at The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, which collected data from 204 countries and territories for the prevalence, severity and deaths attributable to 371 diseases between 1990 and 2021.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)