Women with poor strength are more likely to get arthritis
- Obesity is a risk factor of osteoarthritis, a common condition across the planet
- But researchers found a high BMI was linked to different things between genders
- In men, weighing a lot was linked to having stronger muscles around their knee
- However, women had more fat – meaning their joints suffered from extra strain
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Women with weak knees are more likely to suffer from arthritis, scientists have warned.
But poor thigh muscle strength doesn’t increase the risk of the debilitating condition in men, new research has found.
It could be because being obese – a known risk factor of osteoarthritis – had differing effects between genders, experts claim.
In men, weighing a lot was linked to having stronger muscles around the knee to support their body, while in women it suggested they had more fat.
This excess tissue puts a strain on joints, particularly the knees and hips, breaking down layers of protective cartilage around the bones.
New research has found that women with poor strength in their thigh muscles are most at risk of developing osteoarthritis
Austrian researchers compared 347 participants, with slightly under half suffering from osteoarthritis in their knees.
They used MRI scans to measure the strength of the muscles in each of those taking part in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.
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Lower strength in the knee extensor muscles – used to straighten the leg – and flexor – to bend it – significantly increased the risk of arthritis in women, they found.
The results also showed that lower specific strength was associated with higher BMI in women – a known risk factor of the condition.
Women with a higher BMI – a known risk factor of the condition – had more fat than men. This puts pressure on joints and causes the protective cartilage around the bone to break down
However, the same finding didn’t apply to men. Their higher BMI was linked to increased strength whereas women tended to have more fat.
ARTHRITIS DRUG U-TURN IS A ‘MILESTONE’
A newly approved once-a-day tablet that helps control a debilitating form of arthritis has been hailed as ‘a milestone in treatment’.
Last month, NICE began to recommend Otezla for patients with psoriatic arthritis who have failed to find relief from other treatments.
It is a major U-turn by NICE, which ruled in September 2015 that Otezla was not cost-effective.
Study author Dr Adam Culvenor, of Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, said: ‘Our results highlight the importance of maintaining thigh muscle strength to reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis development, particularly in women.’
He added that their findings suggest men and women could require distinct treatments for their condition.
This comes after scientists in December found a ‘master switch’ that makes women more prone to arthritis.
Researchers from the University of Michigan said the discovery of the key gene that controls the immune network paves the way for a drug to target it.
While before Christmas, experts from Johns Hopkins University claimed that brushing your teeth could prevent arthritis.
Bugs known to cause gum infections also trigger the crippling condition that blights the lives of many around the world.
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