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Time Of India
12 October 2011
By , Shailvee Sharda
Lucknow, India

Knee Osteoarthritis Cases Are On The Rise Among Men And Women
Body fats: A prelude to arthritis
Joint Woes Can Crop up Early
The flab on a man’s arm is a warning sign, suggesting that he may later fall prey to osteoarthritis of the knee. Among women, a ponch or tubes in the abdomen area suggest towards the same.

The finding comes from a study conducted by Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University’s orthopaedic department. It shows that peripheral fat in males and central fat in females is strongly

related to osteoarthritis of the knee (also called KOA). The study has been approved for publication in a high impact Journal’s January 2012 edition.

“Obesity’s association with KOA was broadly known in the western population. But our finding is specific and relates to patients from Lucknow and adjoining places,” said Prof RN Srivastava, principal researcher. His team studied the association of anthropometric measures with osteoarthritic knee in non–obese subjects.

In all, 180 persons (57 males and 123 females) with KOA were studied across parameters of body mass index, mid–upper arm circumference, waist–hip ratio (that indicates the ponch) and triceps–skin fold thickness (suggesting fat in the upper arms and gap in the joints). While it was found that BMI was significantly higher across gender, majority of the men had a fatty upper arm and women’s physique was marked by bulging tummy.

Through statistical analysis, the study validated association between KOA and factors indicating obesity. “Previous works on association of KOA with obesity in the Indian setting were not able to tell whether endocrinological factors like thyroidism or syndrome–x were causing KOA or was it simple loading of the joints that led to the condition. Our work has been able to clearly tell that loading of joints was causing KOA,” explained Prof Srivastava.He added that the work would help doctors think beyond the indications of BMI. “Triceps–skin fold thickness (peripheral fat) in males and the waisthip ratio (central fat) in females were more strongly associated with knee osteoarthritis than BMI,” he stated.

City–based orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sanjay Srivstava says that diet plays an important role in bone health. “Taking care of bone health in the initial years can help in old age, as bones regenerate faster till the age of 30. Vitamins are significantly important for bone health,” he said.

Experts say that vitamin D helps in absorption of calcium and prevents bone weight loss, vitamin C aids in development of normal cartilage and reduces knee pain. Vitamin E is a natural antiinflammatory agent. Low intake of vitamin A is associated with weakening of bones and its deficiency aggravates osteoarthritis. Vitamin–K on the other hand has the power to slow down the occurrence rate of osteoarthritis and reduce joint pain.

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