Patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis at increased death risk

USA: Patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA) are at increased risk of death from diabetes, renal diseases, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), however, patients with self-reported OA are not, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, but its association with mortality is unclear. To shed light on the same, Angelico Mendy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA, and colleagues nalyzed data from 51,938 participants in the 1988-1994 and 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. A subset of 2,589 participants had knee X-rays and was followed for a median of 13.6 years. Mortality was tracked through 2011 (overall median follow-up, 8.9 years).

• Self-reported OA and RKOA prevalences were 6.6% and 40.6%, respectively.


• Self-reported OA was not associated with mortality. RKOA was associated with an increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes and renal diseases, but with a reduced risk of cancer mortality.


• Participants with early RKOA onset (diagnosed before age 40) had a higher risk of mortality from all causes and from diabetes.


• Obese participants with RKOA were at increased risk of mortality from CVD and from diabetes.

"As radiographic knee osteoarthritis is associated with an increased risk of mortality from renal diseases, diabetes, and CVD, therefore, the management of RKOA patients should include treatment and prevention of these conditions," write the authors.