For healthy knees, being 11 pounds lighter can make all the difference - The Washington Post

2 years ago 40

Gaining adjacent a tiny magnitude of value whitethorn not lone harm your knees — starring to pain, stiffness and mobility issues — but besides summation your likelihood of needing genu replacement surgery, according to research presented past period astatine the International Congress connected Obesity.

Among survey participants, a summation of conscionable 11 pounds made full genu replacement 34 percent much apt for women and 25 percent much apt for men. The uncovering stems from the researchers’ reappraisal of 2 studies, involving immoderate 264,000 people.

Overall, however, they reviewed information from 23 studies, focusing connected the narration betwixt value summation and genu osteoarthritis and uncovering that, arsenic value increased, participants’ symptoms and radiographic scans of their knees indicated worsening osteoarthritis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites osteoarthritis arsenic the astir communal benignant of arthritis; much than 32 cardinal American adults person the degenerative associated disease. It tin harm immoderate joint, but the knees are 1 of the astir commonly affected joints.

Osteoarthritis develops erstwhile the cartilage that acts arsenic a cushion betwixt the bones successful a associated breaks down oregon wears away, giving the information its “wear and tear” illness nickname. This leaves the bones successful the associated to hitch together, causing pain, stiffness and question issues.

No cure exists for genu osteoarthritis, but attraction whitethorn see medication, carnal therapy and enactment modifications. If that proves to beryllium insufficient, knee replacement surgery whitethorn beryllium an option, with arthritic parts of the associated removed and replaced with metal, integrative oregon ceramic parts.

First performed successful the 1960s, the country has go reasonably common, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, with much than 750,000 genu replacements done each twelvemonth successful the United States. Based connected their findings, the researchers suggest that preventing value summation — which they accidental is easier than losing value — should trim the hazard for genu osteoarthritis and the fig of needed genu replacements.

This nonfiction is portion of The Post’s “Big Number” series, which takes a little look astatine the statistical facet of wellness issues. Additional accusation and applicable probe are disposable done the hyperlinks.

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