Arthritis striking them young!

The hard fact is that arthritis is not fatal. But, the cruel fact is that arthritis cripples the patient for life. In other words, arthritis is progressively degenerative disorder which becomes increasingly painful if it strikes one at an early age. Because, once diagnosed, it cannot be eliminated.

Lack of nutrition especially among women, and higher levels of obesity and inactivity — explains why arthritis is becoming more common in western India, according to experts.

Arthritis, which is characterised by degeneration of the cartilage and bone of the joints, usually strikes after the age of 65. However, the profile of patients affected by this disease is becoming much young. Dr Prakash Amin, member of Indian Orthopedic Association, said, "It is alarming that we often have patients who are in their thirties. The main cause why increasing number of young people are suffering from arthritis is the faulty food habits. Wrong food habits make one obese, devoid of the nutrition the body needs to function properly."

Dr KC Mehta, Director of knee surgery department in Apollo and Krishna Hospital, who is known for conducting surgeries on over-weight (about 100kg) patients said, "While obesity is the prime culprit for many victims of arthritis at a young age; the craze for excessive exercise is one of the other major factor due to which arthritis has started striking those who are still in their thirties."   This obesity-arthritis link is even stronger for females. Mehta, said, "The rate of heavier women developing arthritis at a younger age is much higher."

The recent findings, published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, indicate that the relationship between obesity and arthritis is more prominent. Studies have found that overweight and obese people, as indicated by their body mass index (BMI) report more doctor diagnosed arthritis than people with a lower BMIs, with 66% of arthritis sufferers being overweight or obese. Experts say that a loss of weight by as little as 11 pounds can cut the risk of developing knee arthritis by as much as 50% in women.
 Dr. Vikram Shah, president, Indian Association of Heap and Knee Surgeon — a super specialty group of experts — said, "Nutritional deficiency and lack of vitamin D, B12 and calcium is one of the major factors behind rising cases of arthritis amongst young women from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajsthan."