The global burden of osteoarthritis: past and future perspectives

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability affecting millions of adults who are middle-aged and older adults worldwide. 1 Briggs AM Cross MJ Hoy DG et al. Musculoskeletal health conditions represent a global threat to healthy aging: a report for the 2015 World Health Organization world report on ageing and health. Gerontologist. 2016; 56: S243-S255 Crossref PubMed Scopus (374) Google Scholar , 2 Vina ER Kwoh CK Epidemiology of osteoarthritis: literature update. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2018; 30: 160-167 Crossref PubMed Scopus (518) Google Scholar To determine the global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, Jaimie Steinmetz and colleagues 3 Steinmetz J Culbreth G Ong L et al. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatol. 2023; 5: e508-e522 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Google Scholar estimated the prevalence and burden of hand, hip, knee, and other sites of osteoarthritis in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. They adopted statistical approaches to account for heterogenous non-reference data, added estimates for hand and other osteoarthritis sites, identified high BMI as a risk factor for lower limb osteoarthritis, and forecasted the prevalence of various types of osteoarthritis through to 2050. Their work can help numerous governments and research institutions set priorities in health policies and research to develop cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies to alleviate the burden of osteoarthritis. Although this report provides valuable data for various stakeholders to understand the regional osteoarthritis-related burden, and changes in prevalence or risk factors over time, 4 Murray CJL The Global Burden of Disease Study at 30 years. Nat Med. 2022; 28: 2019-2026 Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar there are some inherent limitations of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 5 Maher C Ferreira G Time to reconsider what Global Burden of Disease studies really tell us about low back pain. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022; 81: 306-308 Crossref PubMed Scopus (15) Google Scholar and the findings should be interpreted with caution. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021Age-standardised YLDs attributable to osteoarthritis are continuing to rise and will lead to substantial increases in case numbers because of population growth and ageing, and because there is no effective cure for osteoarthritis. The demand on health systems for care of patients with osteoarthritis, including joint replacements, which are highly effective for late stage osteoarthritis in hips and knees, will rise in all regions, but might be out of reach and lead to further health inequity for individuals and countries unable to afford them. Full-Text PDF Open Access