Relationship between Osteoarthritis and Endocrine Disease in KSA: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common kind of arthritis, affects millions of people throughout the world. This problem occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears away over time. The goal of this study was to draw attention to the link between osteoarthritis and a number of endocrine illnesses in the Saudi population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional research with the goal of shedding light on the link between osteoarthritis and endocrine problems. The research was conducted in Saudi Arabia at colleges, hospitals, and shopping centers. During the months of June to November 2021, data was collected from patients and the general public.

Results: The study included 743 participants. Among them, there were, 519 females (69.9%) and 224 males (30.1%). The most prevalent age group was 20-30 years (n= 354, 47.6%). Majority of study participants were Saudi (n= 713, 96%) and the rest were non-Saudi. The mean body mass index (BMI) among study participants was 29.47 + 7.53 with median BMI of 30 kg/m2. It was found that 85 participants took anti-inflammatory drugs for more than twice per week during the last three months (11.4%). It is noticed that the prevalence of autoimmune disease among study participants is low. However, female participants were higher in hypothyroid (P= 0.001).

Conclusion: Finally, it appears that weight, rather than IR, explains the relationship between endocrine disease and knee OA. Individuals with arthritic knee pain may benefit from endocrine disease therapy since the accumulation of endocrine disease components is connected to a higher degree of knee discomfort, independent of age, sex, or weight.