Heart Disease Risk Rises with Osteoarthritis

Recently, scientists suggest that inflammation plays a role in osteoarthritis, considered most often to be a disease of "wear and tear."  M. Mushfiqur Rahman, from the University of British Columbia (Canada), and colleagues analyzed data collected from 600,000 men and women. The team found that men older than 65 years with osteoarthritis were at 15% increased risk for hospitalization for cardiovascular disease. In addition, women older than 65 years had a 17% increase in cardiovascular risk; women younger than 65 years were 26% increased risk.  The study authors submit that: "This prospective longitudinal study suggests that I osteoarthritis] is associated with an increased risk of [cardiovascular disease]."