News | Global study: osteoarthritis cases among postmenopausal women rise over 130% in 30 years, fastest in East Asia
A large systematic analysis covering 204 countries and territories found that over the past three decades, osteoarthritis (OA) cases and related disability burden among postmenopausal women increased by 133%, 140%, and 142%, respectively. The largest increases occurred in East Asia and high-income Asia Pacific, while excess body weight was among the most widespread risk factors. The study was published in the open-access journal BMJ Global Health.
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD), researchers analyzed osteoarthritis from 1990 to 2021 among postmenopausal women aged 55 and older. They examined knee, hip, hand, and other OA, along with related disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
Osteoarthritis cases surged, with knee OA the most common type
Worldwide in 2021:
14.259 million new OA cases
2.786 billion existing cases
99.447 million DALYs
Knee OA was the most common type, accounting for 1,264.48 years of healthy life lost per 100,000 people, followed by hand and other OA. Hip OA was the least common and caused the smallest health loss.
Higher diagnosis rates in high-income countries and rapid growth in East Asia
Among 21 GBD regions, high-income Asia Pacific countries such as Japan and South Korea had the world’s highest incidence, prevalence, and DALYs for knee OA, while Central Asia had the lowest. In addition:
Southeast Asia had the fastest growth in new knee OA cases
East Asia had the fastest growth in total prevalence and healthy life lost
The burden of hand OA was highest in Central Asia and lowest in Oceania
Hand and other OA increased fastest among women aged 55–64
Women also had significantly higher knee and hand OA DALYs than men of the same age. Among those aged 55–59, hand OA DALYs in women were nearly twice those in men.
High BMI: a shared global risk for women
High body mass index (BMI) was the only quantifiable risk factor identified. The data showed:
OA DALYs attributable to high BMI rose substantially from 1990 to 2021
High-SDI countries were most affected
Globally, the share of OA DALYs associated with BMI rose from 17% to 21%
East Asia had the steepest increase, from 14% to 23%
This suggests that high BMI has a far-reaching effect on OA in women across countries at all development levels.
The researchers suggested that East Asia’s rising OA burden may be closely associated with population aging, increased female labor-force participation, urbanization, and lifestyle changes. More advanced health systems and diagnostic methods in high-income countries may also result in higher case detection and reporting.
Call to action on women’s joint health
Although the researchers acknowledged regional differences in data quality and noted that using age 55 as the standard for menopause may overlook women with earlier menopause, they emphasized that the growing OA burden among postmenopausal women poses a serious global health challenge.
The study concluded that proactive interventions are urgently needed, especially for weight management and lifestyle improvement. Public policy should also account for sociodemographic differences to address the trend more effectively.
News | Global study: osteoarthritis cases among postmenopausal women rise over 130% in 30 years, fastest in East Asia
News | Global study: osteoarthritis cases among postmenopausal women rise over 130% in 30 years, fastest in East Asia
A large systematic analysis covering 204 countries and territories found that over the past three decades, osteoarthritis (OA) cases and related disability burden among postmenopausal women increased by 133%, 140%, and 142%, respectively. The largest increases occurred in East Asia and high-income Asia Pacific, while excess body weight was among the most widespread risk factors. The study was published in the open-access journal BMJ Global Health.
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD), researchers analyzed osteoarthritis from 1990 to 2021 among postmenopausal women aged 55 and older. They examined knee, hip, hand, and other OA, along with related disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
Osteoarthritis cases surged, with knee OA the most common type
Worldwide in 2021:
14.259 million new OA cases
2.786 billion existing cases
99.447 million DALYs
Knee OA was the most common type, accounting for 1,264.48 years of healthy life lost per 100,000 people, followed by hand and other OA. Hip OA was the least common and caused the smallest health loss.
Higher diagnosis rates in high-income countries and rapid growth in East Asia
Among 21 GBD regions, high-income Asia Pacific countries such as Japan and South Korea had the world’s highest incidence, prevalence, and DALYs for knee OA, while Central Asia had the lowest. In addition:
Southeast Asia had the fastest growth in new knee OA cases
East Asia had the fastest growth in total prevalence and healthy life lost
The burden of hand OA was highest in Central Asia and lowest in Oceania
Hand and other OA increased fastest among women aged 55–64
Women also had significantly higher knee and hand OA DALYs than men of the same age. Among those aged 55–59, hand OA DALYs in women were nearly twice those in men.
High BMI: a shared global risk for women
High body mass index (BMI) was the only quantifiable risk factor identified. The data showed:
OA DALYs attributable to high BMI rose substantially from 1990 to 2021
High-SDI countries were most affected
Globally, the share of OA DALYs associated with BMI rose from 17% to 21%
East Asia had the steepest increase, from 14% to 23%
This suggests that high BMI has a far-reaching effect on OA in women across countries at all development levels.
The researchers suggested that East Asia’s rising OA burden may be closely associated with population aging, increased female labor-force participation, urbanization, and lifestyle changes. More advanced health systems and diagnostic methods in high-income countries may also result in higher case detection and reporting.
Call to action on women’s joint health
Although the researchers acknowledged regional differences in data quality and noted that using age 55 as the standard for menopause may overlook women with earlier menopause, they emphasized that the growing OA burden among postmenopausal women poses a serious global health challenge.
The study concluded that proactive interventions are urgently needed, especially for weight management and lifestyle improvement. Public policy should also account for sociodemographic differences to address the trend more effectively.
Source:
Collected online