Most common form of arthritis affects 15% of the global population over the age of 30
A new study projects nearly 1 billion people will be living with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, by 2050. Currently, 15% of individuals aged 30 and older experience osteoarthritis. The research, published in The Lancet Rheumatology, analyzed 30 years of osteoarthritis data covering more than 200 countries and was led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
The study found that cases increased rapidly over the past three decades because of three main factors: aging, population growth, and obesity.
The most common areas for osteoarthritis are knees and hips. By 2050, osteoarthritis is projected to increase by the following percentages based on problem areas of the human body.
♦ Knee +74.9%
♦ Hand +48.6%
♦ Hip +78.6%
♦ Other (e.g., elbow, shoulder) +95.1%
More women than men are expected to continue grappling with this condition. In 2020, 61% of osteoarthritis cases were in women versus 39% in men.
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