Osteoarthritis is not caused by aging, even though this was the prevailing view for many years.

Having said this, there is no question that osteoarthritis is more common as we age.  By the time we reach age 65, more than 50 percent of us will have x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis.  This means that there is already significant enough cartilage destruction to show up as narrowing of the joint space on x-ray.

But is osteoarthritis an inevitable part of aging?  Since a lot of people do not have OA by age 65, it would suggest that osteoarthritis is not an inevitable part of the aging process.  For instance, there is evidence that younger people who are overweight or obese can develop osteoarthritis, even to the point of needing knee replacement surgery.  This would suggest that aging is not the cause. 

Also, because cartilage destruction has been linked to having diabetes, to being overweight, to high intakes of sugars, to lack of physical activity, to muscle weakness, and other factors, it would suggest that the risk of developing OA can be affected by our life choices and that aging is not the driving force. Again, evidence that aging is not the cause.

According to John H. Klippel, MD, medical director of the Arthritis Foundation, “It is a misconception that everyone gets osteoarthritis. Joint problems are not necessarily a part of growing old.” [put this in a quote box]

Understanding that arthritis is not an inevitable part of aging is the first critical step in taking control of your present and your future.  Many people believe arthritis just happens with aging and that there is little that can be done about it.  If you approach osteoarthritis as something over which you have some measure of control, it changes your entire approach to living with it.  In fact, it can inspire one to take action, choosing a path that quite possibly leads to improved mobility and a better life. 

But just how is arthritis linked to aging?  First, arthritis appears to be a process in which our genetics intersect with our diet, nutrition, lifestyle, stress, attitudes, environment, and other factors.   The collision of these factors over time may lead to a decay of the joint architecture and gradual fading of its function.  Rather than being a cause of aging, arthritis may well be a sign of accelerated aging.

Is Arthritis a Sign of Accelerated Aging?

While there is agreement that arthritis is not caused by aging, there is now evidence suggesting that osteoarthritis might be a sign of accelerated biological aging.  To explain, doctors examined almost 1,100 people, mostly female twins, taking x-rays of the hands and samples of white blood cells. They wanted to see how osteoarthritis might be linked to a shortening of their chromosomes (a part called telomeres). This shortening of telomomeres, found at the tips of our DNA, has long been linked to biological aging.

These doctors found that the older the person was, the shorter the telomeres.  In other words, telomere length was associated with chronological age.  Among the 160 people with osteoarthritis of the hand, the telomere length was significantly shorter than those without arthritis. Telomere length was also associated with the severity of the hand arthritis.

These findings led doctors to suspect that the osteoarthritis was actually a sign of of accelerated biological aging.  But what causes premature shortening of the telomeres on our DNA?  There is now a lot of evidence that free radical stress can cause shortening of telomeres and premature aging of our DNA.  More on this can be found at our link Oxidative Stress and Arthritis.

[Osteoarthritis May be Sign of Faster Biological Aging. ScienceDaily, Oct. 2, 2006]

What Can be Done?

If you put all the modern research together, a new picture emerges.  This picture is beginning to show that joint pain is influenced by a wide array of things we do every day.  Cartilage is an unusual tissue and hard to rebuild, so it is very important that diet- and life-style-centered steps be taken to preserve the cartilage that is present and healthy.  However, it is also important to know that joint pain can come from joint tissues other than cartilage, such as nerves, ligaments, tendons, and the synovial membrane.  These tissues are readily altered by what we do every day.  These tissues are not so resistant to change by our activities.  This knowledge gives us the confidence and the power to adopt lifestyle practices that have a strong likelihood of providing a lot of benefit.

How OA Might be Linked to Aging