Links Between Osteoarthritis and Diabetes

Abstract

SYNOPSIS Osteoarthritis (OA) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often co-exist in older adults. There is increased susceptibility to develop arthritis in those with T2DM, which is supported by observations of higher prevalence of arthritis in those with T2DM (52%) compared to those without it (27%). The association between OA and T2DM has been traditionally attributed to underlying shared risk factors of age and obesity. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in lipid metabolism and hyperglycemia might have a direct impact on cartilage health and subchondral bone that contribute to the development and/or progression of OA. Adequate management of older persons with both OA and T2DM benefits from a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors associated with these diseases. In this review, we discuss common risk factors and emerging underlying links between OA and T2DM, and emphasize the importance of physical activity to improve metabolism and decrease disability and pain in this population. Implications for safe and effective physical activity approaches in older patients with OA and T2DM are also discussed.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Outcomes of Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis Who Underwent Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

“…The prevalence of DM in our study population was 21.5%, which is more than twice the estimated prevalence of DM in the general US population (10.5%) [14]. This is similar with the findings of other studies, pointing towards increased risk of OA in DM patients [6,7]. Over 60% of the patients with knee OA were females.…”

“…OA and DM are rising in prevalence globally and presently affects millions. They both share a major risk factor, obesity, but DM is beginning to be recognized as a probable independent risk factor for OA [6][7][8]. Peri-operative hyperglycemia has been established as a poor prognostic factor following surgery [9][10][11].…”

Time to bust common osteoarthritis myths

“…People who are obese are 2.7 times more likely (95% CI 2.2-3.3) to have knee osteoarthritis than people who are not obese (Silverwood et al, 2015). Increased body weight is believed to cause additional joint loading and damage (Bliddal, Leeds, & Christensen, 2014) as well as to contribute to systemic inflammation (Piva et al, 2015). Previous hip or knee joint injury is strongly associated with the development of osteoarthritis (Hochberg et al, 2015).…”

Association between metabolic syndrome and hip osteoarthritis in middle-aged men and women from the general population

“…Osteoarthritis and metabolic syndrome are two of the leading disorders in developed countries [1][2][3][4][5]. Metabolic syndrome, a constellation of hazardous factors leading to diabetes mellitus as well as to cardiovascular disorders, contains common risk factors for both diseases such as increased blood glucose levels, elevated waist circumference (central obesity), elevated blood pressure, increased triglycerides and lowered HDL-c [5][6][7][8][9][10].…”