Arthritis can affect people from all backgrounds, ages and lifestyles; surprisingly, two out of every three cases occurs in people aged between 15 and 60.
Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that 3.5 million Australians suffer from arthritis, making it the leading cause of chronic pain.
If you’re a woman, you’re more likely to develop arthritis: 51.4 percent of Australian women aged 55 years and over have it, compared to 35.2 percent of men.
How do you know whether you’re at risk of developing arthritis?
Being overweight: This is the single most important modifiable risk factor for the development of arthritis, especially when you consider that every additional unit of weight you gain results in a fourfold increase in joint loading. In fact, being overweight doubles your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, while obesity quadruples the risk.
This staggering increase in risk is due to the mechanical strain, as well as the fact that carrying extra body fat results in systemic inflammatory changes and metabolic dysfunction that increases the risk of different types of arthritis. If you only do one thing to prevent arthritis, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is the most important.
Hormonal changes: Women are more likely to have arthritis than men and the biggest risk period for this is perimenopause. Oestrogen plays a protective role against the development of osteoarthritis and oestrogen receptors have been found in joint tissue. However, as oestrogen levels decline, around menopause, women lose this protective effect and are more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Interestingly, the changes that occur in a woman’s body in the postpartum period increase the risk of women developing an autoimmune-mediated arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, oestrogen is so protective against rheumatoid arthritis that women are less likely to develop it during pregnancy when oestrogen is highest and more likely to develop it when levels drop after delivery.
The microbiome connection: The body is home to trillions of bacterial cells, which play an important role in our mucosal defence system and help train our immune system to recognise what is ‘self’ tissue and what is a foreign invader. While research into the connection between arthritis and the microbiome is in its infancy, some exciting developments have been reported.
For example, we know that probiotic bacteria given alongside prebiotics have demonstrated benefits similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in animal studies of osteoarthritis.
Several specific species of bacteria have also been associated with the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, including Prevotella copri, which is associated with inflammatory conditions. This common gut bacterium can be identified through microbiome testing and successfully eradicated using safe natural medicines.
Modifying the gut microbiome with a diet rich in plant foods and fibre helps to normalise the balance of the bacteria in the body and reduce inflammation in arthritis.
READ: Eat to beat arthritis