Symptoms of pain and stiffness in Foot osteoarthritis associated with increased all-cause mortality

Compared to those without foot symptoms, patients with foot symptoms like pain and stiffness have a higher risk for all-cause mortality. These findings are obtained from older adults enrolled in an osteoarthritis cohort and published in Arthritis Care & Research.

This study analyzed longitudinal data from 2613 participants from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project (JoCoOA). This was a longitudinal population-based cohort of adults 45 and older. At baseline, Participants completed questionnaires to determine the presence of foot symptoms and covariable status. An 8-foot walk test was used to measure baseline walking speed.

Those with foot symptoms like pain, aching, and stiffness are at increased risk of reduced time to all-cause mortality. The present study evaluated whether foot symptoms are independently associated with all-cause mortality in older adults using Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders.

Key results of the study are:

• Over 4-14.5 years of follow-up, 813 deaths were recorded.
• At baseline, 37% of participants with a mean age of 63 and a BMI of 31 kg/m2 had foot symptoms.
• The participants were 65% women and 33% Black.
• There was an association between Moderate to severe foot symptoms and reduced time to mortality after adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, physical activity, and knee and hip symptoms.
• The association was unmodified by walking speed or diabetes.

The study emphasized an increased risk of all-cause mortality among those with foot symptoms.

There is a need for effective interventions to identify and manage moderate foot symptoms to reduce the risk of decreased time to mortality.

Further reading:

Harmon S. et al. Foot Symptoms are Associated with Decreased Time to All-Cause Mortality: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 Jun 29. doi: 10.1002/acr.25186.