Osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease

Osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease

Prevalence of osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease in the community increases as age advances. So is it just a co-occurrence of two common disorders or is there something more than that in the association? There seems to be some interesting data related to this aspect as per a meta-analysis of studies [1]. There is an association between osteoarthritis and common cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and obesity.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs often prescribed for osteoarthritis has been related to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This risk has been higher with certain types of drugs according to a network meta-analysis [2]. Pain due to osteoarthritis, especially of the hip and knee would mean less physical activity in this elderly population further contributing to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Vascular disease can cause ischemia of bone with decreased nutrition to cartilage and multiple bone infarcts. This is characteristically seen in advanced osteoarthritis.

References

1. Wang H, Bai J, He B, Hu X, Liu D. Osteoarthritis and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Sci Rep. 2016 Dec 22;6:39672. doi: 10.1038/srep39672. PMID: 28004796; PMCID: PMC5177921.
2. Trelle S, Reichenbach S, Wandel S, Hildebrand P, Tschannen B, Villiger PM, Egger M, Jüni P. Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2011 Jan 11;342:c7086. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c7086. PMID: 21224324; PMCID: PMC3019238.