Few conditions are as well known to the general public as arthritis, which is probably because about 54 million Americans—or about 23% of the population—are currently affected by it. These figures could naturally be a bit alarming and lead some to wonder what their personal risk is for developing arthritis and if there’s anything they can do to reduce it.
The truth is that there are many different types of arthritis and a multitude of factors that play into each individual’s chances of getting it. While some of these factors are completely out of one’s control and cannot be altered, others are considered “modifiable,” and making changes to them may have a significant impact on your personal risk for arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is by far the most common of the more than 100 different types of arthritis. As many as 31 million individuals currently have osteoarthritis, and the majority of cases are seen in those who are over the age of 65. Osteoarthritis is also the most preventable of all forms of arthritis, whereas for many other types—like rheumatoid arthritis, for example—not as much can be done to prevent them from occurring because their causes are not well understood.
Osteoarthritis is a complex process that results from a number of different causes. Older age does play a part because the body naturally undergoes several changes that make joints more vulnerable to developing it. Therefore, since nothing can be done to stop the aging process, older age is considered a “non-modifiable” risk factor for osteoarthritis. Other non-modifiable risk factors are being female (since females are at an increased risk for all forms of arthritis) and family history (since some people are more likely to get it because of their genetic background.)
But these are just a few of the factors that determine a person’s risk, and there are many others that are actually modifiable. Below is a breakdown of the risk factors for osteoarthritis that you do have control over and some associated suggestions on how you can modify them in order to keep your personal risk as low as possible:
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