Osteoarthritis Risk Factors

What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis?

Analyzing the risk factors of osteoarthritis from macro perspective it can be said that people who are older than 50 years old,  high bone mineral density, crystals in joint fluid or cartilage, history of immobilization, Injury to the joint, Joint hypermobility or instability, Obesity (weight-bearing joints) Peripheral neuropathy, Prolonged occupational or sports stress carry the risk for osteoarthritis. However analyzing osteoarthritis in detail is a need for both healthcare professionals and general population.
Understanding the risk factors of osteoarthritis is critical for the general population.

There are 3 main risk factor groups for osteoarthritis.

1. UNMODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS
2. MODIFIABLE RISK FACTOR
3. COMBINATION OF RISK FACTORS

Please find below the given risk factors for osteoarthritis.

UNMODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

• Age:
  As people age, the risk of osteoarthritis increases. Normally the age does not cause osteoarthritis but represent a risk factor in developing symptoms.  Thus people at older age has a greater rsik exposure.  Usally people older than 50 years old carry the risk of being osteoarthritis.  The majority of the general population  over 60-65 years of age show X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in the hands. Osteoarthritis may act as a silent disease in which the first appear without symptoms between 30 and 40 years of age and is present in almost everyone by the age of 70.  Symptoms generally appear in middle age. Before the age of 55 it occurs equally in both sexes. However, after 55 it is more common in women
• Sex:
  Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, though it isn't clear why.
• Race:
  All races can be affected by osteoarthritis, but some Asians have a much lower occurrence of OA of the hip and hand, but a higher occurrence of OA of the knee. More knee OA is seen particularly among Chinese women when compared with North American women, and is independent of weight and anatomical alignment of the lower limbs. The rate of osteoarthritis varies by ethnic group. In the US, Caucasians and African−Americans have higher rates of arthritis than Hispanics or other ethnic groups.
• Bone deformities:
  Among the general population, some people are born with malformed joints or defective cartilage, which can indicate a higher risk of osteoarthritis for this population.
• Family history/Genetic:
  This is a well-documented risk factor, with the occurrence of Heberden’s nodes (518-page compilation of the notes of Sir William Heberden, 1710–1801) having almost autosomal dominant inheritance. Despite this strong association, no single gene defect has been identified for all generalized OA. Twin studies now suggest that the heritability component of OA may be as high as 60%–65% for hip and hand OA, and around 40%–50% for knee OA. A genetic defect in the collagen type II gene has been identified in some families with premature onset of severe OA; however, this defect is not found in the wider OA community. Another example includes collagen disturbances such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In this case A genetic defect may promote breakdown of the protective architecture of cartilage.

MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

• Injury:
  Joint Injuries, like the ones that people experience when playing sports or from an accident, may enhance the risk of osteoarthritis.
• Obesity:
  Having extra pound always brings a great pressure to the legs; in other words, carrying more body weight places more stress on your weight-bearing joints, such as your knees. However obesity has also been linked to an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the hands, as well.
• Occupation:
  Current clinical research has proved that early and severe work related osteoarthritis of hip, knee, and hand has disclosed a pressing need to identify risk factors and develop preventive measures. Thus occupational activity, perhaps through overuse and frequent minor injury, has long been recognized as a risk factor for osteoarthritis. A number of epidemiological studies have shown a consistent association between hip osteoarthritis and farming in men, with agricultural workers who were active for 10 years having double the risk of those working less than 1year. Radiological assessment of the hands of cotton mill workers documented more osteoarthritis than in age matched controls, and linked specific joint sites (eg, distal interphalangeal joint or first carpometacarpal joint) with the nature of the repetitive tasks performed.  The strongest association with occupational activity has been shown with OA of the knee in men. It is estimated that up to 30% of all knee OA is attributable to occupational activity that involves repeated knee bending, kneeling, squatting, or climbing.4 These activities increase the risk two- to fourfold and, if combined with heavy lifting of more than 25 kg on a regular basis, increase risk fivefold.
• Please find below some occupations in which the risk exposures is high for osteoarthritis:
• Cleaners
• Agricultural workers
• Clothing industry workers
• Geography:
  Although the average rate of osteoarthritis among older adults in the US is 60%, it can vary widely in certain geographical regions. In the US, the rates in older adults are lowest (34%) in Hawaii and highest (70.3%) in Alabama. In general, the highest prevalence of arthritis in America occurs in the central and northwestern states.
• Other diseases that affect  the bones and joints:
• Bone and joint diseases which enhance the risk of  OA includes the below diseases:
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Gout
• Paget's disease of bone
• Septic arthritis.

COMBINATIONS OF RISK FACTORS IN OSTEOARTHRITIS

These compound the risk, and this is particularly evident with the interactions between occupational knee bending and obesity (risk increased 10–15 times) and between age and injury to the knee.  Risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis include those that predispose individuals to its development and mechanical factors that accelerate its appearance. As noted, advancing age and female gender are two important risk factors. In addition, heredity appears to play a role, particularly in forms of osteoarthritis that affect multiple joints. Signs of osteoarthritis are much more likely to be seen in the identical twin of a patient with osteoarthritis than they are among the general population, for instance.
Obesity is also clearly associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, although its association with osteoarthritis of the hand and hip are less clear. This association appears to be related to increased mechanical loading of the knee joint, although other factors may also play a role.
Mechanical factors which increase the risk for the development of osteoarthritis include joint trauma and repetitive joint use. Repetitive impact loading of specific joints may be due to occupational activities or to sports or leisure activities.