Obesity 'causes osteoarthritis'RSS Feed

Rising levels of obesity could potentially see an increasing number of young people afflicted with the spinal injury seen in many cases of osteoarthritis.

Neil Betteridge, chief executive of Arthritis Care, warned that obesity is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, meaning the condition does not just affect older people.

He explained that carrying extra weight puts additional pressure on joints, so the obesity epidemic could see rising numbers of people with the condition.

"Osteoarthritis doesn’t have to be age related but there is obviously a propensity for it to affect older people because with time your bones and joints wear out a bit," added Mr Betteridge.

This follows research from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute which uncovered a new gene linked to osteroarthritis.

The disease-associated variant, located on the MCF2L gene, is just the third gene to be identified for the condition, which affects more than 40 per cent of those aged over 70.

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Posted by Paul Breen
 

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