Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of joint diseases that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. It is reported more among the women than men in older age. Researchers have struggled to pinpoint precisely why this is.
According to experts, fluid (synovial) in the knee holds clues and women are more prone to it. Females just seemed more impacted: In total, they had more than 70 biological processes altered compared to males who had closer to 50.
For the study, the team analyzed samples of synovial fluid taken from the knees of men and women both with and without OA. They have found, no change in the number of exosomes (induced catabolic factor gene expression in synovium) but clear differences in the messages cells are sending and receiving via tiny pieces of RNA, called microRNA (regulate gene expression), in males and females. They found 69 microRNAs were significantly downregulated and 45 were upregulated in the male however in females there were 91 downregulated versus 53 upregulated.
A diagnosis is made based on the joint pain and stiffness of the patient, a physical exam and X-ray. When a knee is swollen and warm to the touch oftenly the synovial fluid is exacted, to look for problems. Injecting hyaluronic acid which is the major component of synovial fluid, into the knee is used to cure the diseases.
Risk factors include:
-- Previous injury
-- Increasing age
-- Obesity
-- Family history.
-- Sports with repetitive high impact (running, basketball etc)
-- Certain occupations (lifting, walking, climbing stairs etc)
-- Poor posture (gout, septic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis)
Osteoarthritis currently affects an estimated 20 million Americans and is the most common joint disorder. As our population ages, this number is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next two decades.
Source : 24 Market Reports