Added sugars may elevate risk of osteoarthritis in women, finds PLOS ONE study

A new study published in the journal of PLOS One found that increased addition of sugar elevated the risk of osteoarthritis, especially in women, people with low body mass index, people who had never smoked or used alcohol, people without a history of hypertension, and the people without a history of diabetes. Subchondral bone sclerosis, hyperostogeny, synovial inflammation, and cartilage damage are all symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disease of the bones and joints.

Food is essential for maintaining health and preventing illness, and there is proof that food has a direct link to the onset of OA. Sugar is an essential and basic dietary component that gives our bodies energy. Sweeteners added during food processing and preparation are referred to as added sugars. This definition does not include the natural sugars present in fruits, vegetables, and milk. Although added sugars have been linked to a number of detrimental health effects, it is unknown how they relate to osteoarthritis. This study was conducted to show how additional sugars and osteoarthritis are related.

In order to investigate the relationship between added sugars and osteoarthritis, Xiaolong Liao and team analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2007 to 2018. The study enrolled a total of 2,746 people and 47.67% female and 52.33% male, with an average age of 43.77 years were included. Weighted to reflect 11,854,966 participants, there were 2,152 in the osteoarthritis group and 594 in the non-osteoarthritis group. According to the fully adjusted multivariable model 3, populations in the fourth quartile had a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis, and added sugars were identified as a risk factor for the condition.

The results showed that the ones who never had alcohol and had no history of diabetes were more likely to develop osteoarthritis when additional sugars were handled as a continuous variable in subgroup analysis. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that and added sugars in women, people with low BMI, people who have never drunk or smoked, people having no history of diabetes or hypertension were at higher risk for osteoarthritis.

Source:

Liao, X., Chen, X., Zhou, Y., Xing, L., Shi, Y., & Huang, G. (2024). Added sugars and risk of osteoarthritis in adults: A case-control study based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018. In S. Silambanan (Ed.), PLOS ONE (Vol. 19, Issue 11, p. e0313754). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313754