Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease that progressively destroys the cartilage. We often mistakenly imagine that it is a wear related to aging against which we cannot do much when it is a real disease which affects about 10 million people, often (in 35% of cases) before the age of 40.
This is why the French Association for the fight against rheumatism (Aflar) decided that it was time to “break the silence on the disease” and give a voice to patients with osteoarthritis so that they can give their impressions. on this pathology which considerably affects their daily life. Presented on the site stop-arthrosis.org , the results of this survey show that for many patients osteoarthritis is a real burden that is often very disabling. “From November 2012 to May 2013, more than 4,600 people responded to our survey. ¾ were women, which corresponds well to the fact that they are more willing to consult their general practitioner or specialist for this pathology” explains Aflar.
Nearly 9 out of 10 respondents to the survey cite pain as their main difficulty. In a third of them, it is permanent, in a third it arises unpredictably and for the remaining third, it varies with physical activity.
“The impact of pain on morale is singled out by more than 80% of respondents” insists the association, which adds that almost all patients are looking for solutions to relieve pain and improve mobility. “But only half of the patients take regular drug treatment. Improving compliance with treatment is the first imperative while waiting for future molecules” insists Prof. François Rannou, rheumatologist at Cochin Hospital, who believes that improving the management of the disease also begins by communicating about the disease. . Many still underestimate the importance of being overweight as a major risk factor for osteoarthritis.
– 47% of people affected are under 60 and 35% began to suffer from pain before the age of 40.
– Main joints affected: knees (56%), hands (50%), hips (34%) and feet (29%).
– On average, the diagnosis is made more than two years after the onset of symptoms. It is done by the general practitioner in 51.7% of cases and by the rheumatologist in 36.4% of cases.
– 2 out of 5 patients (39.9%) take an oral treatment at least once a day and more than 2 out of 5 have had recourse to an injection of corticosteroids into the painful joint (a so-called infiltration https: //www.topsante.com/medecine/rhumatismes/arthrose/soigner/arthrose-les-avantages-des-infiltrations-14884)