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Weight from birth to 53 years: a longitudinal study of the influence on clinical hand osteoarthritis
A Aihie Sayer1, J Poole, V Cox
1University of Southampton, UK. aas@mrc.soton.ac.uk
Insights
Increased adult body weight is linked to hand osteoarthritis (OA) in men, while lower birth weight also elevates risk. No significant association was found in women, suggesting sex-specific factors influence OA development.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease.
- The influence of body weight across the lifespan on hand OA development requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between body weight at various life stages and the incidence of clinical hand OA.
- To investigate potential sex differences in the relationship between body weight and hand OA.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study utilizing data from a British national survey.
- Inclusion of 1,467 men and 1,519 women born in 1946, with weight measurements from birth through adulthood.
- Assessment of hand OA at age 53 years, with odds ratios calculated to determine risk associated with weight fluctuations.
Main Results:
- Hand OA was diagnosed in 19% of men and 30% of women.
- In men, higher weight at ages 26, 43, and 53 years correlated significantly with hand OA.
- Men with the highest OA risk were heaviest in adulthood and lightest at birth; this association was independent of grip strength and not observed in women.
Conclusions:
- Elevated adult body weight is a significant risk factor for developing hand OA in men, potentially preceding its onset.
- A novel finding indicates that decreased birth weight is also associated with increased hand OA risk in men.
- The study did not find a link between body weight and hand OA in women, highlighting potential sex-specific etiological pathways.
Objective:
To determine the influence of body weight throughout the life course on the development of clinical hand osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods:
A British national survey was used to perform a prospective cohort study of 1,467 men and 1,519 women born in 1946. Weight was measured at birth and at subsequent followup visits through childhood and adulthood. The main outcome measure was the odds ratio for the presence of hand OA at the age of 53 years.
Results:
Two hundred eighty men (19%) and 458 women (30%) had OA in at least 1 hand joint. Hand OA was significantly associated with increased weight at ages 26 years, 43 years, and 53 years and with decreased weight at birth in men. Birth weight and adult weight showed independent effects, such that men with the highest risk for OA represented those who had been heaviest at age 53 years and lightest at birth. These findings were not explained by grip strength. There was no significant relationship between weight and hand OA in women.
Conclusion:
The results of this study show that increased adult weight is associated with, and may precede, development of hand OA in men. An association between hand OA and weight was not observed in women. The relationship between hand OA and decreased birth weight is a new finding and may reflect the persisting influence of prenatal environmental factors on adult joint structure and function.
