Osteoarthritis linked to higher parkinson’s disease risk

9 JUNE 2021 - A study published in Arthritis Care & Research has uncovered an elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease in individuals with osteoarthritis.

The retrospective study using Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 included 33,360 patients who were 50–64 years old and had osteoarthritis in 2002–2005. A comparison group consisted of 33,360 age- and sex- matched individuals without osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritis group had a 41% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, after adjustments. Patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis appeared to have a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than patients with non-knee and non-hip osteoarthritis or with uncategorized osteoarthritis.

Although the mechanisms behind a potential link between osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease are unknown, both conditions involve inflammation.

“Coexisting osteoarthritis and Parkinson’s disease can additively increase the risk of falling. Moreover, osteoarthritis-related mobility impairments may mask early motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” said senior author Shin-Liang Pan, MD, PhD, of National Taiwan University. “Health professionals need to be alert to the potential link between these two diseases.”

URL Upon Publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acr.24708

Full Citation: “Osteoarthritis is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease: A population-based, longitudinal follow-up study.” Shih-Hao Feng, Hung-Jui Chuang, Kuo-Cheng Yeh, Shin-Liang Pan Osborn, Anthony M. Joshua, Teresa M. Petrella, John R. de Almeida, David P. Goldstein, and Bart S. Ferket. Rheumatology; Published Online: June 8, 2021 (DOI: 10.1002/acr.24708).

Copyright © 2021 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., reproduced with permission.