Bone and joint inflammation is the most common articular diseaseaffects Over 3 million Australians and it’s over 500 million people around the world.
. knee It is the most commonly affected joint, but osteoque and arthritis can also affect other joints, including hips and hands. The condition causes painful and fixed joints.
For someone with degenerative knee disease, plain classes that many people take for granted, such as walking, walking on the stairs or crouching, can be very complex.
Currently, there is no cure for bone and joint inflammation. The most available treatments, such as exerciseWalking AIDS and Ledines (including Paracetamol AND Non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs), Focus on managing symptoms. But it is essential to consider first of all how we can prevent bone and knee inflammation.
With this in mind, we have conducted a systematic review to summarize the risk factors for the development of knee and knee inflammation. Our findings, published today in the journal Bone and cartilage inflammationIt can support us better understand how to reduce the risk of this state.
What we found
We collected data from the research, which over time occurred for people to check which risk factors were associated with developing knee inflammation. We included a total of 131 studies, with the participation of over 5 million people.
We have identified over 150 factors that affected the risk of developing osteoarthritis and knee joints.
Some key factors that increased the risk of developing degenerative knee arthritis, included overweight or obesity, knee injuries and professional physical activity, such as lifting ponderous objects and shift work.
We also found several other possible risk factors, including:
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Eating immense amounts of ultra-processed food (including “junk dishes”, sweet drinks and processed meats)
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Penniless sleep quality (for example, sleeping less than six hours a day or having 1-2 restless nights a week)
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I feel depressed.
Being overweight or obesity and knee injury in the past constituted 14% of the general risk of developing osteoarthritis of knee joints.
In other words, if we were able to completely remove these two risk factors, we could potentially reduce the incidence of osteoarthritis in the population by 14%.
Women had almost twice the risk of developing osteoarthritis, and the older age was slightly associated with developing knee bone inflammation.
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Protective factors
On the other hand, we have found that some factors may reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis and knee. They included after Mediterranean diet (which includes a lot of vegetables, olive oil, nuts, fruits and well fats found in fish) and after a diet in fiber.
Avoiding things that augment the risk of developing osteoarthritis, such as a diet opulent in ultra-processed food, knee damage, weight gain and weightlifting, can also support a person reduce the risk of developing condition.
Exercise is effective treatment for osteoarthritis. It can reduce pain and improve the function.
Our study did not have enough information to determine what types of physical activity (for example, walking, running, swimming) and how much time spent on these activities can reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee joint, so this is an essential area for future research.
How can we explain these links?
The research we included did not generally examine possible mechanisms combining key risk factors with the development of degenerative knee joints.
However, other studies can ensure helpful insights. A knee injury can lead to knee instability and additional knee consumption that can lead to osteoarthritis and knee. Similarly, Professional physical activity Such as kneeling, squatting, climbing or severe lifting can augment the risk of consumption on the knee.
A impoverished dream was related weight gain AND depression.
. Duration and sleep quality It was found that it affects how much we eat and hormones responsible for regulating metabolism. Depression was associated with reduced physical activity which can lead to weight gain. Wearing an additional weight can Increase the knee load and contribute to osteoarthritis.
Shift works can lead to Bad nutritional choices AND lack of sleepwhich, in turn, can augment the risk of knee and knee inflammation.
It seems, therefore, that although the risk factors we find can contribute individually to the development of degenerative knee disease, they can also affect together to augment risk.
It is not clear why women are more exposed to the development of knee joints. However, this is probably due to the combination of factors, in this lifestyle, biological and hormonal factors.
The Mediterranean diet is high in polyphenols, which maybe reduce body inflammation and cartilage destruction. In this way, it can reduce the risk of developing bone and knee inflammation.

Peopleimages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
Most risk factors are modified
There were some restrictions with the available evidence. Most studies were based on populations from the United States or did not report on ethnic origin. We don’t know much about the risk of developing osteoarthritis in some groups, such as people from Latin, African and south -eastern environments. We need more research examining risk factors in other countries and populations.
Nevertheless, such a review allows us to better understand what you can do to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis.
We have found that most risk factors associated with the developing osteoarthritis are modified, which means that they can be changed or better managed with a well diet and lifestyle. Well eating, maintaining well weight and taking proactive steps to prevent injuries in the workplace and sports communities can potentially reduce the risk of developing this state.
Public health strategies aimed at encouraging well eating and weight loss (for example, subsidized nutrition programs and educational programs from an early age to promote the optimal diet and physical activity) may reduce the burden on degenerative disease of the knee joints, and also have broader health benefits.
Programs such as these, as well as reducing ponderous lifting in the workplace, should be the subject of government strategies to solve the burden of this painful state around the world.