Global Disease Burden of Osteoarthritis Across Two Decades and Future Projections

In a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study, the Global Burden of Disease Osteoarthritis Collaborators estimated the burden of common sites of osteoarthritis across different demographics from 1990 to 2020.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, generally occurs in adults aged 40 or older and is characterized by chronic pain and loss of mobility. The degenerative disease can coexist—and negatively effect—other chronic conditions an adult may have.

For their systematic analysis, the study’s authors estimated the prevalence of disease in 204 countries from 1990 to 2020 using data from population-based surveys. The surveys included 16 countries for knee osteoarthritis, 23 countries for hip osteoarthritis, 42 countries for hand osteoarthritis, and United States insurance claims “for all of the osteoarthritis sites.”

In 2020, 595 million people globally had osteoarthritis, which equated to 7.6% of the global population, a 132.2% increase from total cases in 1990. Numbers will continue to rise by 2050, the authors predict. Compared with the data from 2020, cases of osteoarthritis are projected to increase 74.9% for knee osteoarthritis, 48.6% for hand, 78.6% for hip, and 95.1% for other types of osteoarthritis.

Additionally, for adults aged 70 years and older, osteoarthritis was found to be the 7th ranked cause for years lived with the disability. Further, high BMI contributed to 20.4% of osteoarthritis and was the only risk factor attributed to the burden of disease.

“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. Much more can and should be done to prevent people [from] getting to that late stage,” the authors wrote.

Reference:

GBD 2021 Osteoarthritis Collaborators. 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. Published online August 21, 2023. doi:10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00163-7