Early-onset osteoarthritis cases have almost doubled since 1990

Early-onset osteoarthritis – defined as occurring in people aged 30–54 years old – nearly doubled between 1990 and 2019 says new data. Why? Because of the rise in overweight and obesity, the team behind the findings suggests.

Data from covering 204 countries and territories was analysed and the findings revealed in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

“Previous studies of early-onset osteoarthritis have focused mainly on sports or traffic-related injuries and occupational activities,” says Dr Qianlin Weng who is involved in the work. “However, overweight and obesity merits more attention since it is a significant and potentially modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis, and its global prevalence has tripled in young and middle-aged adults over the past decades. Effective strategies for prevention at a young age are required.”

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