With age, arthritis is inevitable--or so the folklore goes--and there's not much to do except hobble off into the sunset as gracefully as possible.
That view is changing dramatically, at least for people with osteoarthritis, the most common form of the disease that affects 16 million Americans, making their joints inflamed, swollen and painfully stiff.
Arthritis \o7 is\f7 more common with age, everyone agrees. But researchers now know how to reduce the risks via lifestyle changes. Some say high-impact exercise, once thought a set-up for arthritis, is off the hook. New treatment options and new rehabilitation programs also help to keep arthritis patients moving.
Reducing Risks
One thing's for sure, says Dr. Arthur Grayzel, senior vice president for medical affairs for the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta. Being very overweight increases the chance of arthritis in the knee and probably in the hip.
Keeping weight near ideal is wise, he says, emphasizing that he's not advising people be reed thin--just stay reasonably near their ideal weight. At least two studies show that people more than 20% above their ideal weight have an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the knee, Grayzel says.
Injuries to weight-bearing joints from sports or falls also seem to increase the risk of developing arthritis later, he says. While injuries can't always be prevented, "take them seriously" when they occur, Grayzel advises. That means getting prompt and proper treatment for such injuries as torn knee cartilage and following through on recommended rehabilitation.
Exercise Debate
Does the wear and tear of exercise, especially high-impact activities like running, set people up for arthritis?
It's an argument that has raged for years, with some research finding high rates of arthritis in overused joints of athletes. But two recent studies suggest otherwise.
Habitual physical activity during the middle-aged years is not associated with development of arthritis of the knee later, concludes Marian T. Hannan, a researcher at the Boston University Arthritis Center in the Journal of Rheumatology published in April.
With her colleagues, she evaluated more than 1,400 subjects and found "there was no increase in the risk of knee osteoarthritis with increasing physical activity in either men or women." But the study showed that men who are physically active do tend to develop more bone spurs in later years, but experts disagree on whether these bone spurs lead to arthritis.
