- Osteoarthritis Update #1: Statin Use Linked to Increased Risk of Developing Hip Osteoarthritis
Many older people who take statin drugs (such as atorvastatin [Lipitor]) to lower their cholesterol levels have osteoarthritis or are at risk for developing it. A recent study in the Journal of Rheumatology shows that elderly women who take statins may have a small increase in their risk of developing hip osteoarthritis (OA), but statin use does not worsen progression of existing hip osteoarthritis.
A total of 5,678 white women aged 65 years and older had x-rays of the pelvis taken at the start of the study (baseline) and again an average of eight years later. X-ray evidence of hip osteoarthritis was found in 745 women (936 hips) at baseline. X-rays in the remaining 4,933 women (9,318 hips) showed no hip osteoarthritis. Overall, 7% of participants took statins during the sixth and/or the eighth year of the study.
In the group who did not have evidence of hip osteoarthritis at baseline, statin users had almost twice the risk of developing severe osteoarthritis of the hip but only a small increase in the risk of less severe osteoarthritis, compared to similar women who didn't take statins. In contrast, statin users with evidence of hip osteoarthritis at baseline showed a moderately decreased risk of osteoarthritis progression. The study shows that in elderly white women who don't have osteoarthritis of the hip, statin use may increase the risk of developing it.
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Osteoarthritis Update #2: Use of Prescribed Exercises Decreases Disability in Knee Osteoarthritis
A study reported in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism shows that people with knee osteoarthritis who exercised for as long as 18 months had less disability and were able to walk much greater distances than people who dropped out of the program.
A group of 156 overweight and obese older adults (age 60 and older) with knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to an 18-month program of exercise for 60 minutes a day, three days a week, or the same exercise regimen plus weight loss. During the first six months, all patients were required to exercise at a supervised facility. At 7–18 months, they could continue at the facility or exercise at home, keeping daily exercise logs.
Researchers determined which participants had low, intermediate, or high exercise adherence. After six months, people with the highest adherence showed the greatest improvement in the distance they could walk in six minutes and on an index of osteoarthritis-related pain and disability. At the 18-month point, 69 people in the exercise-only group and 65 in the exercise plus diet group were still following the exercise program to some degree and maintained improvements in walking performance. The study shows that adherence to prescribed exercise regimens can produce significant improvements in physical function and disability in overweight and obese people with knee osteoarthritis.
