Harvard researchers (USA) examined more than 2000 skeletons from collections across the United States and demonstrated that the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis has increased considerably in recent decades. But this study above all upsets a received idea according to which osteoarthritis is due to wear and tear of the skeleton and to the aging of the population.
The American researchers indeed affirm that the prevalence of the disease is not only due to age but that it is essentially due to the growing sedentary lifestyle of the population. Indeed, the less we move, the less we exercise, the less we strengthen the articular cartilages.
A difficult disease to treat
“Understanding the origins of knee osteoarthritis was an urgent challenge because nothing can cure the disease except joint replacement. And once osteoarthritis sets in, it creates a vicious”said Professor Daniel Lieberman. “People become less active, which can lead to other health problems at a faster rate”.
By taking this new look at knee osteoarthritis, researchers hope to be able to prevent this debilitating disease as it is possible to prevent cardiovascular disease.
This study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National academy of sciences.
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