Some studies have suggested that diabetes may be a risk factor for
osteoarthritis. However, whether prediabetes is also associated with
osteoarthritis has not been comprehensively examined. We performed a
meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between prediabetes and
osteoarthritis. This meta-analysis included relevant observational studies from
Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. A random-effect model after
incorporation of the intra-study heterogeneity was selected to pool the results.
Ten datasets from six observational studies were included, which involved 41 226
general adults and 10 785 (26.2%) of them were prediabetic. Pooled
results showed that prediabetes was not independently associated with
osteoarthritis [risk ratio (RR): 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI):
1.00 to 1.14, p=0.06, I2=0%]. Sensitivity
limited to studies with adjustment of age and body mass index showed consistent
result (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.14, p=0.09,
I2=0%). Results of subgroup analyses showed that
prediabetes was not associated with osteoarthritis in cross-sectional or cohort
studies, in studies including Asian or non-Asian population, or in studies with
different quality scores (p for subgroup difference>0.10). Besides,
prediabetes was not associated with osteoarthritis in men or in women, in
studies with prediabetes defined as impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose
tolerance, or HbA1c (approximately 39–46 mmol/mol).
Moreover, prediabetes was not associated with overall osteoarthritis, and knee
or hip osteoarthritis. Current evidence does not support that prediabetes is
independently associated with osteoarthritis in adult population.