Britain will be crippled by an arthritis epidemic driven by obesity, with one in ten people set to be affected within two decades, campaigners have warned.
A population that is getting older, fatter and less active means that 8.3 million people could have knee arthritis by 2035, double the current number, Arthritis Research UK has predicted.
People have believed the “pernicious myth” that exercise is bad for the joints and doctors must prescribe activity to prevent and treat arthritis, the charity said. It wants a campaign to tell people that the obese are up to six times as likely to develop arthritis as their joints struggle to cope with the load.
Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, said: “People increasingly understand the message that diet and exercise can reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes. We need a similar focus on reducing arthritis which can affect millions and blight their lives. Arthritis is not inevitable, nor should living in pain every day be acceptable, it’s time for a new approach to reduce the risks of developing the condition.”
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of the condition, results from painful wear on the joints and, if unchecked, can leave people immobile and make everyday tasks agonisingly difficult. About 150,000 people a year with the condition have hips and knees replaced, costing the NHS £2 billion a year.
Advertisement
Arthritis is also the most common reason to be off work sick, costing the economy 30 million working days and many billions of pounds.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, has called muscle and bone problems such as arthritis an “unrecognised public health priority”. She said: “These painful, disabling conditions of joints, bones and muscles can devastate the lives of those living with them. Our ageing population, rising obesity and reduced levels of physical activity will increase the prevalence of these conditions.”
One study found that obese women who lose 5kg can halve their risk of developing arthritis, while activity can help to treat the condition. People who lose 10 per cent of their bodyweight typically see big improvements in their symptoms, said Benjamin Ellis, a rheumatologist and lead author of a report for Arthritis Research UK.
Doctors need to be trained to offer knee exercises and encourage people with arthritis to walk more “before reaching for the prescription pad and surgical knife”, he said. “There’s this perception out there that if you have joint pain, what you should do is rest, so being more active is a really important treatment that isn’t there in the public imagination,” he added.
Middle-aged people should be encouraged to use “twinges” in the joints as motivation to lose weight and start exercising more, as preventing joint pain could be a stronger motivation for some people than avoiding diabetes, Dr Ellis argued.