Is osteoarthritis a metabolic disorder?

Br Med Bull. 2015 Sep;115(1):111-21. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldv028. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA), even in non-weight bearing joints. High levels of adipose tissue-associated inflammation may explain this association.

Sources of data and areas of debate: Published evidence looking at the associations between components of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and knee, hip or hand OA and the higher mortality described with knee OA.

Emerging points: Development of MetS and OA shares a relationship with adipose tissue-associated inflammation. This review supports this inflammatory pathway being part of the shared mechanism behind obesity as a risk factor for OA and the recently described OA-associated increased mortality.

Timely areas for development: In an era of an obesity epidemic, this review identifies a need for well-designed cohort studies assessing early metabolic changes in populations at high risk of OA and MetS, and to identify risk factors for increased mortality in patients with OA.

Keywords: adipokines; metabolic syndrome; osteoarthritis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adipokines / physiology
  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Inflammation / epidemiology
  • Metabolic Syndrome / complications*
  • Metabolic Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Osteoarthritis / epidemiology
  • Osteoarthritis / etiology*
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Adipokines