Arthritis & Joint Replacement Clinic
C-21, 4th Floor, Yugadharm Complex,
Opposite ICICI Bank, Near Hotel Centre Point,
Ramdaspeth, Nagpur 10, MS, INDIA
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Introduction & overview
More than 5% of India's population is aged above 65 years (UNICEF.org, India, Wikipedia.org). In the year 2014 there are 7.19 Crore people in India were above 65 years of age (www.cia.gov). Life expectancy at birth in India for males is 68 years and for females is 73 years (wikipedia.org). It is estimated that number of people above 65 will more than double in next two decades (Fransen, International Journal of Rheumatic Disease 2011). As more and more of us will continue to enjoy a longer life because of gradual economic prosperity and better health care available to us as compared to our previous generations, we will have to treat and manage more and more health problems that affect the senior citizens.
According to the data published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine in the year 2007, more than half of all people in the age group 67- 74 years suffer from osteoarthritis (OA). In the same research, it was reported that, almost all people beyond 85 years of age suffer from some form of arthritis or other. In addition to OA, there are 3.6 Crore patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in India (Joshi, Indian Journal of Rheumatology 2013). Permanent damage to knee and hip joints because of RA leading to secondary OA is very common. According to another survey 'TNS Arogya 2006-07' by an ISO accredited independent market research agency, conducted in 16 cities in India, including Nagpur, it was estimated that there are 7.8 crore people with osteoarthritis in India which was corroborated by WHO estimate of 7 crore patients of osteoarthritis in India. Therefore, at least 10 - 11 Crore sufferers of knee OA in India and this number will increase.
Thus OA is a slow but definite and expanding epidemic in making in our country. OA is a major cause of morbidity, activity limitation, physical disability, excessive health care utilization and reduced health related quality of life. It is now recognized that OA is not only cause of pain and physical dysfunction and disability but also associated with excess mortality (Hotchberg, Osteoarthritis Medicographia, 2013).
Familiar risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA) in individuals 50 years and older - high body mass index (BMI), previous knee injury, age, female sex, and the presence of hand OA - were confirmed as the condition's top drivers in a new systematic review and meta-analysis with an updated evidence base.
One-fourth of cases of onset of knee pain could be attributable to being either overweight or obese, according to Victoria Silverwood and colleagues at the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre at Keele University in Staffordshire, England.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder. It's due to aging and wear and tear on a joint. While obesity does not directly cause osteoarthritis, it increases the amount of stress on joints and contributes to wear and tear.
For every 10 pounds (4.5 Kg) of excess weight gained, you increase your chances of joint pain and or osteoarthritis by approximately 40%.
The best advice? Keep moving. Keep walking.
Walking for 20 minutes a day could save 37,000 people a year from dying prematurely of cancer, heart disease and stroke, according to a report.
But one in three people can barely manage to walk for 30 minutes a week - including everyday trips to the shops, work or school.
Learn about risk factors and causes of OA.
Ageing, obesity, inflammatory joint diseases and injuries are most common risk factors.
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