- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Naprapathy: A Hands-On Approach to Pain Management
- Indigo Ointment Benefits Psoriasis Patients
- Supplement Hampers Thyroid Cancer Treatment
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Varicose, Spider Veins May Be Inevitable for Some
- More Faces Being Spared in Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Get in Step With Summer Foot Care
- CANCER
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- Vitamin D Good for Breast Cancer Patients
- Bitter Melon Extract May Slow, Stop Breast Cancer
- CAREGIVING
- Caring for Aging Loved Ones Can Be a Catch-22
- ER Less Likely to Diagnose Stroke in Younger Folks
- Bariatric Surgery Centers Don't Deliver Better Outcomes
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- COSMETIC
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- An Oral Approach to Heart Disease
- DIABETES
- Strict Blood Sugar Lowering Won't Ease Diabetes Heart Risk
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Antioxidants Abound in Cereals, Popcorn, Whole-Grain Snacks
- 'Organic' May Not Mean Healthier
- Low-Fat Diet Does Little to Alter Cholesterol Levels
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Chemical in Plastics May Cause Fertility Problems
- Household Chemicals May Affect Cholesterol Levels
- Meat-Eating Dinosaurs Used Legs and Arms Like Birds
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Too Much Sun, Too Few Antioxidants Spell Eye Trouble
- Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease
- Diabetic Hispanics Missing Out on Eye Exams
- FITNESS
- Simple Exercise Precautions To Help Keep Baby Boomers Fit
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Being Active an Hour a Day Puts Brakes on Weight Gain
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Tune Up Your Health With Music
- To Quit Smoking, Try Logging On
- Afternoon Nap Might Make You Smarter
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Obese People Seem to Do Better With Heart Disease
- Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
- After a Stroke, Light Exercise Gets Hands, Arms Working Again
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Hand Washing 10 Times a Day May Help Keep Flu Away
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- KID'S HEALTH
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Shop 'Til You Drop: You May Feel Better
- Music Soothes Anxiety as Well as Massage Does
- Consciousness Helps the Mind and Body Work Together
- PREGNANCY
- Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
- Music of Mozart Soothes the Preemie Baby
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- SENIORS
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
- Boost In Elderly Population Will Be Felt Worldwide
- Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High
Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85
By eHolistic.com Published: 09/05/2008
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of all American adults will develop osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85, and their odds increase if they are obese in middle age, a new study says.
A person's risk of having the painful condition increased as his or her body-mass index (BMI) rose, according to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study. People who were of normal weight at age 18 but were overweight or obese by 45 or older had the greatest risk.
"These results show how important weight management is for people throughout their lives," senior study author Joanne Jordan, principal investigator of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, said in a university news release. "Simply put, people who keep their weight within the normal range are much less likely to develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis as they get older and thus much less likely to face the need for major surgical procedures, such as knee replacement surgery."
The study, published in the Sept. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, was based on analyzing data collected from more than 3,000 North Carolinians over a 13-year period. Participants were interviewed and given a clinical exam, including knee X-rays and BMI measurements.
Obese people had a significantly higher lifetime risk, 64.5 percent versus 34.9 percent for normal weight and 44.1 percent for overweight participants. Those with prior knee injuries in their lifetime also had a higher risk than those without (56.8 percent vs. 42.3 percent).
No notable risk differences were found based on a participant's sex, race or education level.
More information
The Arthritis Foundation has more about osteoarthritis.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, news release, Sept. 2, 2008
Last Updated: Sept. 05, 2008
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