Association Between Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis and Target Glycemic Control in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Lauren K King1,2, Alanna Weisman1,3, Baiju R Shah1,4
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Arthritis Care & Research
|December 18, 2025
Summary
Individuals with Type 2 diabetes and painful knee osteoarthritis are less likely to achieve target glycemic control. This finding highlights an increased risk for diabetes-related complications in this patient group.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is prevalent in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients.
- OA in T2DM is linked to higher risks of diabetes complications.
- Understanding the OA-glycemic control link in T2DM is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between symptomatic knee OA and glycemic control in T2DM patients.
- To explore how pain and walking difficulty in knee OA affect glycemic control.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 351 T2DM patients (age ≥45) in Canada.
- Knee OA defined by NICE criteria; target glycemic control by HbA1c ≤7.0%.
- Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, education, and BMI.
Main Results:
- 28.5% had knee OA; 43.9% achieved glycemic target.
- Knee OA alone was not significantly associated with target glycemic control after adjustment.
- Painful knee OA (≥20/100) showed a significant negative association with target glycemic control (aOR 0.58).
Conclusions:
- Painful knee OA in T2DM patients is associated with poorer glycemic control.
- This subgroup faces elevated risk of diabetes complications.
- Clinical attention to painful OA in T2DM is warranted for improved diabetes management.
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