Asthma and eczema linked to osteoarthritis risk

Mounting evidence suggests that activation of a type of white blood cell called mast cells and inflammatory chemicals involved in allergic reactions may have key roles in the development of osteoarthritis. But it’s not clear if people with allergic asthma or eczema may be at increased risk of the condition.

To find out, researchers looked at records from a US database of around 350,000 people. They found that:

• Risk of developing osteoarthritis over eight years was 58% higher in those with allergic asthma or eczema than it was among those without allergic disease;
• This trend was even more noticeable in people with both asthma and eczema, who were twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis.

The findings mean drugs used to dampen down allergic pathways in the body may reduce risk of osteoarthritis. “Patients with atopic disease have an increased risk of developing [osteoarthritis] compared with the general population,” the researchers conclude. “Our findings provide further support for the concept that allergic pathways may contribute to the development of [osteoarthritis]. If this is indeed true, non-atopic patients may also benefit from the use of treatments that inhibit mast cells and allergic cytokines to treat or prevent [osteoarthritis].”

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