In a new study from National Taiwan University, researchers found a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease in people with osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wears down.
The wearing down of the protective tissue at the ends of bones (cartilage) occurs gradually and worsens over time. Joint pain in the hands, neck, lower back, knees, or hips is the most common symptom.
In the study, the team used Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 included 33,360 patients who were 50-64 years old and had osteoarthritis.
They also used data from 33,360 age- and sex- matched people without osteoarthritis.
The team found the osteoarthritis group had a 41% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis appeared to have a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than patients with non-knee and non-hip osteoarthritis.
Although the mechanisms behind a potential link between osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease are unknown, the team says both conditions involve inflammation.
Coexisting osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease can additively increase the risk of falling. Moreover, osteoarthritis-related impairments may mask early motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Health professionals need to be alert to the potential link between these two diseases.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about excessive exposure to this metal may be linked to Parkinson’s disease and findings of this sleep disorder may predict Parkinson’s long before symptoms.
For more information about Parkinson’s disease and your health, please see recent studies about drinking coffee may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia and results showing that coffee may help fight common dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
The study is published in Arthritis Care & Research. One author of the study is Shin-Liang Pan, MD, Ph.D.
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