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Clinician's Corner: Osteoarthritis: A Lifestyle Medicine Assessment of Risks, Prevention, and Treatment

clintong{at}med.umich.edu

The prevalence of symptomatic osteoarthritis after the age of 55 years ranges from about 30% to 50% in men and 40% to 60% in women. With the increasing age of the population, it is estimated that in 20 years, osteoarthritis will be the fourth leading cause of disability in this country. Risk factors for osteoarthritis include previous knee surgery, occupational bending and lifting, knee injury, and obesity. Many have suggested that recreational activity and high-level sports involvement are associated with increased risk of osteoarthritis. Although high-impact exercises increase the risk of osteoarthritis, physicians need to still recommend appropriate lower impact aerobic exercise and strengthening exercises for all of our patients to improve their general health, including cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. Clearly, more research is needed to help us understand how to modify the natural history of this condition in more stringent evidence-based fashion. However, lifestyle medicine approaches combined with conventional therapies are effective in decreasing the disability associated with chronic osteoarthritis.

Key Words: osteoarthritis • knee • risks • prevention

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