High LDL cholesterol associated with elevated risk of hand osteoarthritis among females, finds study

The severity of hand OA was classified in terms of the number of affected joint groups (moderate hand OA 2–4 joint groups, severe hand OA 5–6 joint groups). Metabolic profile, including body mass index (BMI), bioimpedance, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum leptin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides, were obtained. Multicollinearity was assessed with Pearson’s correlation and associations with logistic regression analyses adjusting for age, HDL-cholesterol, and central obesity.

Results: Two-thirds of the participants were women, and 91 (39%) had hand OA. We found a relationship between LDL-cholesterol and prevalent hand OA in women with an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% CI 1.1–2.6) and an association between LDL-cholesterol and severity of hand OA in women; odds ratio for no hand OA vs. moderate hand OA was 1.6 (95% CI 1.0-2.4) and for no hand OA vs. severe hand OA 2.5 (95% CI 1.2–4.9). There were no significant relationships between hand OA and obesity or serum leptin levels. A Circulating LDL-cholesterol levels were associated with the prevalence and severity of hand OA in women but not men.

Reference:

Brogren, E., Andersson, M., Westenius, M. et al. Associations between hand osteoarthritis, obesity and lipid metabolism: a cross-sectional study of the Halland County Osteoarthritis (HALLOA) cohort. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 25, 944 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-08073-x