Assessing the Burden of Osteoarthritis in Africa and the Middle East: A Rapid Evidence Assessment

Abstract

Introduction/Objectives This rapid evidence assessment (REA) was conducted to assess the burden of weight-bearing joint osteoarthritis in the developing countries of Africa and the Middle East. Methods Our REA methodology used a standardized search strategy to identify observational studies, published between January 1, 2010, and April 23, 2020, reporting on outcomes pertaining to the epidemiology and humanistic or economic burden of weight-bearing osteoarthritis. Relevant data from the included studies were used for qualitative analysis. Results Among the 20 publications reporting on knee osteoarthritis in 10 countries in Africa and the Middle East, 2 also reported on hip, and 1 on foot osteoarthritis. Prevalence of symptomatic/radiographic knee OA was 9–14% among rheumatology outpatients and 31–34% among those with mixed etiology osteoarthritis. Prevalence of knee OA diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging was 70% among patients ≥40 years of age attending a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Quality-of-life outcomes were reported in 16 publications and suggested a substantial humanistic burden of osteoarthritis, including worse pain, function, and quality of life, and more depression; comparisons between studies were hampered by the variety of tools and scoring scales used, however. No studies reported on economic outcomes. Conclusion This REA indicates a substantial burden of osteoarthritis in weight-bearing joints in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with publications from other regions of the world.

Network analysis, in vivo, and in vitro experiments identified the mechanisms by which Piper longum L. [Piperaceae] alleviates cartilage destruction, joint inflammation, and arthritic pain

“…Osteoarthritis (OA) affects millions of people worldwide ( Pigeolet et al, 2021 ) and is the most common type of arthritis and it is characterized by joint pain and reduced physical function ( Katz et al, 2021 ). Recently, the economic impact of OA has increased in most nations ( Al Saleh et al, 2023 ; Yang G. et al, 2023 ; Hallberg et al, 2023 ). According to the Global Burden of Disease study, the age-standardized incidence of OA is increasing by 0.32% annually worldwide ( Jin et al, 2020 ).…”