OA Now Found to Increase the Odds of Social Isolation in the Elderly

(Newswire.net — August 31, 2020) Orlando, FL — Osteoarthritis has long been notoriously known for the pain and other symptoms it produces. Scientists continue to carry out studies to investigate this condition, and the impacts it produces on sufferers.

A study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In this research, it has been found osteoarthritis of the knee or hip increases the odds of social isolation in older, community-dwelling individuals.

This study was carried out by Paola Siviero, from the Institute of Neuroscience in Padova, Italy, and colleagues. 

They utilized data from the European Project on Osteoarthritis to assess the link between osteoarthritis and incident social isolation among older, community-dwelling people belonging to six European countries. 

The investigators found that out of the 1,967 individuals with complete follow-up data, 19 percent were socially isolated at baseline. During follow-up, 13.9 percent of individuals not socially isolated at baseline suffered from social isolation. 

It is further worth noting that after adjusting for age, sex, and country, there were four factors significantly linked with incident social isolation. These are clinical osteoarthritis, cognitive impairment, depression, and worse walking time. 

There was also a 1.47 times increase in the risk of social isolation produced by clinical osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. This was compared with individuals who did not have OA or with only hand osteoarthritis. 

“Clinicians should be aware that individuals with osteoarthritis may be at greater risk of social isolation,” the authors write.

This condition is undeniably damaging to various aspects of health and life. Unfortunately despite various studies to find its cure, it remains incurable. 

The good news is that there are actually certain measures recommended by scientists found to be beneficial against this disease. One is glucosamine, which more and more OA sufferers also turn to for pain relief.

In addition to following healthy dietary and lifestyle habits, the use of pain medications is also being practiced by individuals with OA. However, it is worth noting that pain relievers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can produce some adverse effects.

Glucosamine is widely thought nowadays to be a safer alternative to NSAIDs. This natural compound is a building block of the joint cartilage, and is found in many studies to be helpful for joint cartilage repair.

There are even many athletes who turn to its use to increase their protection against OA. VitaBreeze Glucosamine may be an excellent choice for individuals who want to fight or increase their protection against the condition (www.amazon.com/Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Turmeric-Dietary-Supplement/dp/B00DUMO9X4).