Prevalence of Osteoarthritis in Ireland

“Approximately 400,000 people in Ireland suffer with Osteoarthritis (OA)”

Much of the increase in arthritis that is seen is probably accounted for by a rise in the number of people with osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis which tends to affect people as they get older. The reasons for this increase in the number of people with OA are two-fold. One is that the prevalence of OA rises with age, and as the population ages so the number and the proportion of OA raises. Secondly, one of the major risk factors for Osteoarthritis, especially of the knee, is obesity, and as we know we have an increasing prevalence of Obesity in Ireland.

Osteoarthritis, Risk Factors for Developing the Condition

Some types of Osteoarthritis are hereditary. This applies particularly to the type of OA which affects the finger joints. There are four main categories of non-inherited risk factor. These are congenital abnormalities (OA hip may be a late complication of congenital dislocation of the hip or hip dysplasia); trauma (OA often develops in a joint which has previously experienced a serious injury such as a fracture; or been operated on); overweight (being overweight is the strongest risk factor for developing OA of the knee) and occupation (e.g. OA of the hip is particularly common in farmers, and Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs in people whose occupation involves a lot of bending). (source: Epidemiology of the Rheumatic Diseases – 2nd Ed(9))

Osteoarthritis Risk Factors continued…

Osteoarthritis Prevention Tips

Obesity and OA

Obesity is becoming one of the fastest growing health problems in Ireland. One in eight Irish people are obese and every second person is overweight. The trends from the second SLÁN survey on people’s lifestyles show that as a nation we are becoming progressively heavier – witnessed by the 30% increase in reported obesity levels over the last four years.

Read more about Osteoarthritis and Obesity…