Almost one in five U.S. adults (46 million people) has arthritis and an estimated 67 million people will be affected by 2030. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis that wears away the cartilage cushioning the knee joint, currently affects more than 27 million people in the U.S.
Most Americans are unaware of the seriousness of arthritis and the impact it can have on their lives. Arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability and costs the U.S. economy more than $128 billion annually. Knee osteoarthritis, the most frequent form of lower extremity arthritis, contributes to 418,000 knee replacement procedures annually and in 2006 accounted for 496,000 hospital discharges and $19 billion in hospital charges.

One of the largest longitudinal studies to monitor the onset and progression of knee and hip osteoarthritis suggests nearly one in two people (46%) will develop painful knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime, with the highest risk among those who are obese. The study found that a person’s lifetime risk rose as their body mass index or BMI increased, with the greatest risk found in those whose weight was normal at age 18 but were overweight or obese at 45 or older. While there were no significant differences in risk by sex, race and education, the study found that nearly two in three people (65%) who are obese would develop knee osteoarthritis over their lifetime. The study also found that those with a prior knee injury had a lifetime risk of 57%.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, the study underscores the immediate need for the public to understand what they can do to reduce the tremendous pain, disability and cost associated with arthritis. Arthritis is exploding in an aging population of U.S. baby boomers.

To reduce the pain and disability of arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation recommends the following: