What Conditions Are Related to Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis frequently coexists with other illnesses. Due to common risk factors, certain conditions develop alongside arthritis, some develop from it, and some contribute to it.

Joint discomfort is frequently caused by osteoarthritis, particularly in older persons. It frequently appears in your:

knees
spine
hands
hips

Certain medical factors, such as obesity or a history of joint traumas, can increase your risk of getting osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and other illnesses such as heart disease and depression frequently coexist, perhaps because of common risk factors. Osteoarthritis can occasionally cause the emergence of other illnesses.

Continue reading to find out more about the various conditions that osteoarthritis is associated to.

Conditions that increase your risk of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis may develop more quickly if you have any of the following conditions.

Previous joint injuries

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis is the term used to describe osteoarthritis associated with prior joint traumas. It usually manifests earlier than classical osteoarthritis and is closely linked to sports-related trauma.

Ten to twelve percent of instances of osteoarthritis are thought to be post-traumatic. In the ankle, where it may account for over 80% of diagnosis of osteoarthritis, it is especially prevalent.

Obesity

Obesity increases the amount of strain on the lower and back joints. One of the main risk factors for the onset and advancement of osteoarthritis is obesity.

Genetic structural differences

Everybody has a unique anatomy. It's possible that you were born with anatomical variations that place additional strain on a certain joint and increase your risk of osteoarthritis.

For instance, studies show a correlation between increased foot supination and the onset of osteoarthritis in the knee. The amount that the sole of your foot tilts outward is known as supination.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals who have a family history of osteoarthritis are generally more likely to get the condition than those who do not.

Conditions that often co-occur with osteoarthritis

Without causing osteoarthritis directly, some disorders frequently co-occur with it.

Heart disease

Heart disease appears to be more common in people with osteoarthritis. There may be some correlation between the two, with some people's persistent joint discomfort preventing them from exercising. Additionally, obesity may have a role as a shared risk factor.

According to a 2023 study based on South Korean medical claim data, individuals with knee osteoarthritis had the following characteristics:

26% higher risk of having heart disease
20% higher risk of heart attack
29% higher risk of stroke

Metabolic syndrome

A set of five risk factors known as metabolic syndrome can raise your risk of heart disease and are frequently present together.

They include:

a large waistline
high blood pressure
high blood sugar levels
dyslipidemia (high blood triglyceride levels)
low HDL cholesterol

One of the main risk factors for osteoarthritis is obesity, which has a strong correlation with metabolic syndrome.

Depression and anxiety

Studies indicate that depression is more common in those with osteoarthritis. Depression in individuals with osteoarthritis has been connected to:

high levels of pain
slow walking gait
high number of osteoarthritis sites
poor level of function

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Breathing difficulties and reduced airflow are symptoms of COPD, a lung disease. Reduced physical activity and systemic inflammation are associated with both osteoarthritis and COPD. According to research, osteoarthritis is frequently seen in COPD patients.

According to a 2018 analysis of 14 studies, osteoarthritis affects about 35.5% of COPD patients.

According to a 2019 University of Calgary study, the three most common comorbid disorders with osteoarthritis were depression, COPD, and high blood pressure.

Stomach ulcer

A common cause of stomach ulcers is excessive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs). These medications are frequently used to treat osteoarthritis.

In another 2019 study, researchers found that compared to the general population, those with osteoarthritis experienced stomach ulcers more than twice as frequently.

Possible complications of osteoarthritis

These issues can result from osteoarthritis.

Sleep disorders

People who have osteoarthritis frequently have trouble sleeping. Osteoarthritis and sleep difficulties include:

insomnia
restless leg syndrome
obstructive sleep apnea

The connection could be bidirectional. Studies also point to a possible link between sleep disturbances and osteoarthritis.

Nerve root compression

The swelling that results from spinal osteoarthritis may compress the roots of nerves that emerge from your spinal cord. This condition, called radiculopathy, can result in symptoms like:

leg weakness
sharp agony running down your leg
tingling
numbness

Fractures

The evidence about whether osteoarthritis raises the risk of bone fractures is conflicting.

There is a strong correlation between osteoarthritis and fracture risk, according to a big UK study. Additionally, a 2024 study discovered that the risk of spine fractures is elevated by spinal osteoarthritis.

A 2023 study, however, discovered that although osteoarthritis raised the chance of repeat falls, it had no effect on the incidence of fractures.

Conditions similar to osteoarthritis

Over one hundred forms of arthritis have been found by scientists. Many other types of arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues can present with symptoms similar to those of osteoarthritis, such as:

Rheumatoid arthritis: Your immune system attacking healthy cells in your joints leads to rheumatoid arthritis.
Psoriatic arthritis: Some individuals with psoriasis, an inflammatory disease that results in scaly rashes, go on to develop psoriatic arthritis.
Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac that encircles your joint, is known as bursitis.
Tendonitis: A tendon that joins one of your muscles to a bone becomes inflamed when you have tendinitis.
Gout: Uric acid crystals accumulate in the body as a result of gout, which leads to flare-ups of joint pain. Usually, it affects the big toe.
Avascular necrosis: The death of bone tissue as a result of a temporary or permanent disruption of its blood supply is known as avascular necrosis.

Osteoarthritis vs. osteoporosis
Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are easily confused due to their similar names. Together with sharing certain risk factors, the two illnesses also frequently coexist. These are still quite different circumstances.

A problem with your joints is called osteoarthritis (where bones connect). Osteoporosis is a disorder of the bones, specifically a decrease in bone mass.

When to contact a doctor

If your arthritis symptoms are bothersome, it's a good idea to visit a doctor so they can confirm the diagnosis and suggest a course of therapy. Among the symptoms could be:

joint tenderness
stiffness and discomfort when a joint is immovable
limited range of motion
Your joint is making a crackling or grating sound.

Takeaway

Osteoarthritis is more likely to occur in those who are obese or have had prior joint injuries. Osteoarthritis frequently coexists with other disorders, such as heart disease and depression, but is not always the cause of it.

If you experience any osteoarthritis symptoms, you should see your doctor right once so that you can start therapy as soon as possible.

What Conditions Are Related to Osteoarthritis?