The most common cause of all joint aches and pains is being linked to heart health as well. In a study published in Arthritis Care & Research (Dec. 2013), researchers suggest that patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee-some 10 to 12 percent of the worlds population-are at heightened risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In a large, longitudinal study of more than 40,000 patients, men older than 65 with OA had a 15 percent increased risk for hospitalization for CVD. Additionally, those women in the study older than 65 had a 17 percent increase of CVD risk, and those younger than 65 had a 26 percent increase. While this study was not designed to explain the link between OA and CVD, chronic inflammation, muscle weakness, reduced mobility, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common in individuals with OA and are associated with risk factors for CVD.
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