Association between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease in elderly in Japan: an administrative claims database...

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Epidemiology
• Public health

Background:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses conditions like ischemic heart disease (IHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and stroke.
• The relationship between OA and CVD requires further investigation, particularly concerning specific OA sites and CVD subtypes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if osteoarthritis (OA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• To examine differences in the association between OA and specific CVDs: IHD, CHF, and stroke.
• To assess if OA at different sites (hip, knee, hand) influences CVD risk.

Main Methods:

• A population-based, matched case-control study design was employed.
• Health insurance claims data from Japanese patients aged 65 and older were analyzed.
• Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for CVD risk associated with OA, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• The study included 79,296 patients (39,648 with CVD and 39,648 controls).
• Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) showed a significant association with overall CVD (OR=1.192), IHD (OR=1.187), and stroke (OR=1.221).
• Hip OA and hand OA did not demonstrate a significant association with CVD, IHD, or stroke. No OA site was associated with CHF.

Conclusions:

• This study confirms an association between knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly IHD and stroke.
• The findings suggest that KOA may serve as a predictive factor for CVD onset in the Japanese population.
• Identifying KOA as a CVD risk factor can inform future clinical strategies and patient management.