Why is osteoarthritis worse in women?

Why is osteoarthritis worse in women?

Women typically present with more advanced stages and more disability than men. The reasons for this are multifactorial but may be related to less cartilage volume and greater cartilage wear, overall differences in mechanical alignment, and other gender and social factors.

Why is osteoarthritis common in women?

Another possible explanation is anatomical: women’s hips are wider than men’s. The angle formed by the hip bones being wider than the knees puts more stress on the outside of the knees. This “knock-kneed” position, even if slight, can cause osteoarthritis over time in some women.

Are women more likely to get osteoarthritis?

Arthritis is more common in women than it is in men. Discover why women are more susceptible to the arthritic conditions. Of the almost 27 million Americans with osteoarthritis, about 60 percent of them are women—and the risk of osteoarthritis shifts with age.

Can a woman with knee osteoarthritis die?

Women suffering from knee osteoarthritis remain at two times of higher risk related to early death and three times higher risk related to cardiovascular death than other women have. However, none of the doctors has found any strong link between hand osteoarthritis and an increase in mortality rate.

Why are women at higher risk for getting osteoarthritis?

Why Women are at Higher Risk for Getting Arthritis. By far the most important risk factor for osteoarthritis in women, as in men, is obesity. Women who go through menopause often gain weight, and the increased stress on the joints may explain the rise in osteoarthritis seen among women after age 55.

Are there any life threatening complications from osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis itself causes problems as pain in the joints, immovability of the joint and development of nodes on bones in joints. None of these are life threatening. However, osteoarthritis can give rise to some other complications as well. Some of them can be fatal.

Is it rare for women to have hip osteoarthritis?

For a reason still unknown, these two diseases are seldom present in the same person. For example, hip osteoarthritis is rare in women who have had a femoral neck fracture. A curious phenomenon has also been demonstrated: digital osteoarthritis is rare in women with vertebral compression of osteoporotic origin.

Is it common for women to have osteoarthritis?

If you’ve just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), you’re not alone. Many women past age 50 discover OA is the reason for their creaking knees, aching backs, and sore fingers. Suddenly life is all about osteoarthritis — but luckily, arthritis doesn’t have to take control. Arthritis is “the most common form of disability.

Can a person with osteoarthritis do anything about it?

Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis symptoms can usually be managed, although the damage to joints can’t be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and some treatments might slow progression of…

How many people in the US have osteoarthritis?

In the U.S., one in five adults has osteoarthritis — 24 million women and 17 million men, according to the Arthritis Foundation. “I’m constantly telling people that the body is like a car, so there’s going to be wear and tear as we grow older,” Kaur, an arthritis specialist, tells WebMD.

How does weight affect the risk of osteoarthritis?

Obesity. Carrying extra body weight contributes to osteoarthritis in several ways, and the more you weigh, the greater your risk. Increased weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints, such as your hips and knees. Also, fat tissue produces proteins that can cause harmful inflammation in and around your joints.