Symptoms of pain and stiffness in Foot osteoarthritis associated with increased all-cause mortality
Foot symptoms are associated with physical inactivity. Loss of physical function over time may lead to factors impacting mortality, including comorbidities arising from increasing body mass, falls from muscle weakness and impaired balance.
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.
