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addictions to osteoporosis,
also obesity and insomnia |
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beyond health, wellness
at
work, nutrition |
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a-z physical
health :
arthritis
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Types
of arthritis |
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Arthritis encompasses over 120
diseases and conditions that affect joints, the surrounding
tissues, and other connective tissues. The most common types
of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Other types include lupus, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, gout,
bursitis, rheumatic fever and Lyme disease to mention a few.
While anyone can be at risk for developing arthritis, prevalence
of this disease is higher among women than among men. Some of
the more common types of arthritis are described below |
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The inflammation associated with
rheumatoid arthritis begins in the synovial membranes and spreads
to other joint tissues. Outgrowths of the inflamed tissue may
invade and damage the cartilage in the joints and erode bone,
leading to joint deformities. Clinical symptoms include stiffness,
pain, swelling of multiple joints, commonly the small joints
of the hands and wrists. Although it primarily affects the joints,
rheumatoid arthritis can also affect connective tissue throughout
the body and cause disease in a variety of organs, including
the lungs, heart, and the eyes. |
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Osteoarthritis is known by many
other names including degenerative joint disease, arthrosis,
osteoarthrosis or hypertrophic arthritis. Osteoarthritis can
affect any joint, but it commonly occurs in the hip, knees and
spine. It also affects finger joints, the joint at the base
of the thumb and the joint at the base of the big toe. It rarely
affects the wrist, elbows, shoulders, ankles or jaw, except
as a result of unusual stress or injury. |
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Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome
involving muscle and muscle attachment areas. Common symptoms
include widespread pain throughout the muscles of the body,
fatigue, sleep disorders, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. |
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Gout is one of the few types of
arthritis where the cause is known. It results from deposits
of needle-like crystals of uric acid in the connective tissue,
joint spaces, or both. Uric acid is a byproduct of the breakdown
of purines or waste products in the body. Normally uric acid
breaks down in the blood and is eliminated in urine. When the
body increases its production of uric acid or if the kidneys
do not eliminate enough uric acid from the body, levels build
up. This is called hyperuricemia and is neither a disease nor
considered dangerous. On the other hand, if excess uric acid
crystals form as a result of hyperuricemia, gout can develop. |
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Lupus is a disorder of the immune
system known as an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases,
the body harms its own healthy cells and tissues. This leads
to inflammation and damage to various body tissues and organs.
Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints,
skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. It is
characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods
of wellness, or remission. Symptoms include extreme fatigue,
painful or swollen joints (arthritis), unexplained fever, skin
rashes, and kidney problems.
There is no cure for lupus.
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Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
is the most common form of arthritis in children. It may be
a mild condition that causes few problems over time, but it
can be much more persistent and cause joint and tissue damage
in other children. JRA can produce serious complications in
more severe cases. The most common features of JRA are joint
inflammation, joint contracture (stiff, bent joint), joint damage
and/or alteration or change in growth. Other symptoms include
joint stiffness following rest or decreased activity level (also
referred to as morning stiffness or gelling), and weakness in
muscles and other soft tissues surrounding the involved joints.
However, because JRA affects each child differently, a child
may not experience all of these changes. Children also vary
in the degree to which they are affected by any particular symptom. |
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Risk
Factors |
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Non-Modifiable Risk Factors |
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Certain risk factors for arthritis
are considered to be non-modifiable. They include gender, age
and genetic predisposition as detailed below. |
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Gender |
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Nationally, women age 15 years
and older, account for 60% of arthritis cases. During 1989-1991,
arthritis was the most common self-reported chronic condition
and cause of activity limitation among women age 15 and older.
Among people with osteoarthritis, patterns of joint involvement
also demonstrate differences among the sexes, with females on
average having more joints involved and more frequent complaints
of morning stiffness and joint swelling. |
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Age |
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Self-reported arthritis increases
directly with age for women, with 8.6 % of women ages 15-44,
33.5 % for women aged 45-64, and 55.8 % for women aged 65 or
older reporting symptoms. Prevalence rates of rheumatoid arthritis
are two to three times greater among females than males. Osteoarthritis
is more common among males than females under age 45 and more
common among females than among males after the age of 54. |
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Genetic Predisposition |
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Research indicates that certain
genes may be associated with the development of some forms of
arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. |
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Groups at high-risk of osteoarthritis
include: |
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females with
the syndrome of bony nodes usually in the joints of the
fingers |
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people with congenital or
developmental diseases of bones and joints (congenital
hip subluxation and ipsilateral hip osteoarthritis) |
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people with prior inflammatory
joint disease (gout or rheumatoid arthritis) |
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people with metabolic diseases
(hyperparathyroidism, hypothyroidism and chrondocalcinosis).
The exact role of genetics and its interaction with other
factors has not been determined. |
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Modifiable Risk Factors |
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Certain other conditions may predispose
the risk of developing arthritis but offer the greatest opportunity
for prevention if avoided or overcome through simple and sustained
interventions: |
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Overweight/ Obesity |
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Maintaining an appropriate weight
or reducing weight to a recommended level lowers a person’s
risk for some forms of arthritis. Obesity is a major risk factor
for the development and progression of osteoarthritis of the
knee and is associated with an increased prevalence of hip osteoarthritis.
Obesity is a strong risk factor for both sexes with respect
to unilateral and bilateral knee osteoarthritis. It is estimated
that obesity accounts for 19% of osteoarthritis of the knees.
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In longitudinal studies, obesity
predicts the development of knee osteoarthritis in both sexes.
An increase in weight is significantly associated with increased
pain in weight-bearing joints while weight loss has been proven
to decrease the risk of developing symptomatic knee osteoarthritis
in women. In one study, women who lost as little as 11 pounds
reduced their risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee
by half. Obesity is also a risk factor for gout in men. |
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Inactivity |
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Evidence indicates that people
with arthritis are less physically active and less physically
fit than their peer group. Furthermore, being inactive may increase
arthritis problems. An appropriate exercise program is very
important for people with arthritis. Physical symptoms of arthritis
include pain, loss of joint motion, and fatigue. Because of
these symptoms, people with arthritis are significantly less
physically active than the rest of the adult population, even
after taking their disability into consideration. This level
of inactivity also puts them at risk for a variety of other
diseases, including premature death, heart disease, diabetes,
high blood pressure, colon cancer, overweight, depression, and
anxiety. |
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Low Level of Education and Lower
Income |
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Some demographic factors, such
as lower levels of education and lower income, are associated
with arthritis. The mechanism by which these factors increase
the risk of arthritis is not clear. |
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Prevention
and Treatment |
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The science and research supporting
prevention and treatment of arthritis and related diseases are
relatively new. As has already been stated, however, much is
already known concerning who is at- risk as well as what management
interventions can be effectively employed for people with many
forms of the disease. |
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People with arthritis often do
not think that anything can be done to help them. They may not
seek medical attention because they believe arthritis is an
inevitable consequence of aging. To the contrary, there are
many strategies that can be followed to prevent arthritis or
to ease its debilitating effects. Arthritis prevention, for
example, focuses on good nutrition and moderate physical activity
to maintain a healthy body weight. Precautions should be taken
to avoid repetitive joint use, and sport and work-related injuries. |
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For those living with arthritis,
proper diagnosis by a health care professional is a key component
of effective treatment. Fundamental interventions include good
nutrition and moderate physical activity. In the area of physical
activity, three types of exercises are beneficial to people
with arthritis. They include range-of-motion, strengthening,
and endurance exercises. In other areas, there are many arthritis
medications that have been successful in reducing the pain and
inflammation associated with the disease. Other treatment recommendations
include rest at appropriate times, heat or cold therapies, devices
such as splints and braces, and surgery when indicated. |
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