Combinations of these comorbid conditions increases chances of Osteoarthritis (OA) persistence/worsening.
The findings, recently published in Arthritis Research and Therapy, showed that having common comorbid conditions increases the chances of patients developing “symptomatic” OA, most notably among African Americans with diabetes mellitus. The associations shown in the research highlight the increased importance of considering multi-morbidity in the evaluation and care of these patients.
UNC investigators working with Dr. Nelson utilized advanced research methodologies in order to obtain the new findings.
“The state transition modelling approach used in this research paper allows for simultaneous consideration of transitions based on both symptoms and structure — eg, development or resolution of hip pain, or development of new radiographic changes, or both — rather than one or the other in isolation,” said Nelson, Associate Professor of Medicine and faculty member in the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center.
“This is important, because it provides a more complete picture of the changes over time,” she added.
Data used in the study were obtained from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a community based prospective observational cohort of black and white men and women aged 45 years or older in Johnston County, NC.
To learn more, you may wish to read a news article summarizing the key findings, or you may wish to view the research paper directly.