Those with osteoarthritis face nearly threefold higher risk for belonging to more severe multimorbidity trajectories over 20 years<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) face a higher risk for developing severe multimorbidity over 20 years, according to a study published online July 2 in\u00a0RMD Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Andrea Dell’Isola, from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues examined multimorbidity trajectories over 20 years among 9,846 individuals with incident OA and OA-free matched controls.<\/p>\n The researchers identified four classes. At baseline, all classes had a low average number of chronic conditions (one or less). Progression increased for each class. For example, class 1 had the slowest progression toward multimorbidity and had the lowest count of chronic conditions at the end of the follow-up (mean, 2.9), while class 4 had the highest (9.6). Across classes, the presence of OA was associated with higher relative risk (adjusted relative risk of belonging to class 1, 1.29; adjusted relative risk of belonging to class 4, 2.45).<\/p>\n “Our findings underscore the importance of considering OA in the broader context of multimorbidity management and health care planning,” the authors write. “From a policy perspective, the study could inform the development of targeted interventions to manage and potentially slow down the progression of multimorbidity in individuals with OA.”<\/p>\n One author disclosed ties to the health care science and technology industry.<\/p>\n