2/28/11 Older Americans are losing as much as three-and-a-half healthy years because they are obese, have knee osteoarthritis or are dealing with both conditions, according to a study published in the February 15 Annals of Internal Medicine.
“One, two, three years – these are meaningful, especially when you get to your 60s and 70s, where every year really matters because there are fewer left,” says study author Elena Losina, PhD, co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Quality-of-life years, or healthy years, are determined by the amount of illness, disability, pain and functional limitation a person has during any given year. Researchers created a mathematical formula to determine the impact obesity and knee OA have on quality of life years – which is different than mortality because it’s looking not at the length of life, but instead the quality of life in terms of things like functionality and activity.
Based on U.S. Census and obesity data and prevalence rates of knee OA, researchers determined that 40 percent of Americans ages 50 to 84 have both conditions. That’s about 2.9 million Americans with 3.5 fewer healthy years than those who are a healthy weight and don’t have knee OA.
The nearly 29 million older Americans who are obese but don’t have knee OA could lose about 2.5 healthy years, and another 2.8 million who have knee OA but aren’t obese will lose almost 1.9 healthy years.
“[We hope that] the fact that quality of life is diminished makes it clear that if you prevent the conditions, your years of healthy life will be increased,” Losina explains.
Researchers say data shows that 55 percent of African-American women and 50 percent of Hispanic women are either obese, have knee OA or both, compared with just 38 percent of white women. So these findings, they say, are especially important to these minority groups.
“I think everyone needs to pay attention, but African-American and Hispanic women need to pay special attention,” Losina explains. “I think it’s really critical for interventions to address the needs and aspirations of these population groups because I think it will affect the efficacy of the intervention.”
Lawrence Cheskin, MD, is the director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center and a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. He says even though the numbers are based on population averages – and thus are not accurate predictors for individuals – the general findings still have value.
“Unless you want to assume you will beat the odds, you should take it seriously and assume you will be no better than average. And if you are average, you [could] lose three-and-a-half years of [healthy] life.”
Dr. Cheskin says the numbers are also helpful because they put in context how detrimental the combination of obesity and OA are. But he says the important message is also that these figures aren’t set in stone.
“We are talking about something that is potentially alterable. Getting arthritis may not be alterable. On the other hand, how it progresses and how much disability you have from it can be in your control to a certain extent if you do something positive for your lifestyle, like lose weight if you are obese,” Dr. Cheskin says. “That’s within your control. It’s not easy but it’s at least potentially something you can positively impact in terms of your health and quality of life.”
Funding for this study came from The National Institutes of Health and the Arthritis Foundation.
Good food, as natural and as far from processed food you can get will benefit you greatly. GOod vitamin suppliments, plenty of water, and a good spiritual health as well.
This keeps me going. I am 54, work full time, have RA, OA FMS, and Degen DIsc DIsease. God has blessed me greatly.
May He do the same to you.
I am a 79 year old lady who has many chronic problems: OA, RA, osteoarthritis, asthma, COPD (was never a smoker), pulmonary hypertension and Charcot Marie Tooth disease. I have struggled to keep walking and take care of myself.
I have cut down on my food intake so that I get a protein, a starch and a fruit or vegetable at each meal. I do snack, but try to stay away from high sugar ones. I also make them simple to prepare so that I am not standing for too long.
I am nearing 70 and am about 12 lbs overweight
I am on celabrex and tylanol
besides losing weight what else do you suggest
I have experienced the effects of degenerative arthritis for a number of years and at the onset was active, busy with my profession, walked rather than take an elevator, respected "good" food and was basically healthy in most respects, etc.
But, in the last 12 years, have successfully recovered from a knee and a shoulder replacement and know the other knee and shoulder need the same. In the meantime, my lower back is a mess and it pains me to walk for any extended period of time.
Yes, I could lose 25-30 pounds now and be a hot senior diva, but it seems with every step forward, my body takes two back -
No, I am not going to buy the fact that I have caused this condition with much of anything I did. And, I do remember my mother having difficulty with pain in her back and my father walked bent over for a number of years.
Let's start with a healthy body and study it in terms of family history, weight, exercise current lifestyle, meds, diet, etc. etc. Then let the younger generation know specically what to do to avoid this type of problem.
But, for the millions who are in pain and see no end in sight, assigning guilt and offering no solution is disheartening. And, I realize there is no solution and I prefer not to take mind-altering drugs.
I would, at least, like to know whether, or not my grandkids are going to have to feel this way.
And, believe me, I have an active mind and want to be far more active than I am, physically But, it HURTS!
Thanks for letting me express myself....
Thank you.
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