A global study published in BMJ Global analyzed the burden of osteoarthritis (OA) among postmenopausal women from 1990 to 2021 and found a significant increase in OA incidence (133.1%), prevalence (139.8%), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (141.9%) over the study period. Knee OA was identified as the most burdensome type of OA, while hip OA had the least impact. The results showed that OA disproportionately affects high socio-demographic regions. In the data, high body mass index was a significant risk factor, contributing to 20% of DALYs in more developed countries. The study highlights that the OA burden increases with age, particularly among postmenopausal women compared to younger age groups and men. In comparisons with women aged 35–54 years, DALYs in postmenopausal women were consistently higher for all 4 OA subtypes (knee, hip, hand, and other).
UC presentations, unboxed: While urgent care (UC) clinicians might not treat OA often, exacerbations can lead to pain, which might prompt a UC visit. Best practices for the management of hip OA in UC prioritizes ruling out more serious diagnoses including at the very least fracture, septic arthritis, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Read more about best practices from the JUCM archive: Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Hip Osteoarthritis