In 1995 a paradigm shifting study on osteoarthritis was published.
They found:
- “hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and blood glucose are associated with both unilateral and bilateral knee OA independent of obesity, and support the concept that OA has an important systemic and metabolic component in its etiology”
This shows that osteoarthritis is not just a wear and tear pathology. Systemic and metabolic factors have a huge influence.
The take home clinically...lifestyle factors in OA patients need to be addressed for the best outcomes.