Arthritis Is Tied to Heart Disease Risk

I disagree with the conclusion that activity is the main driver. I think inflammation, which contributes to arthritis and heart disease, is the culprit. People who have a life style which lends itself to chronic inflammation would logically have one or more diseases with similar causal effects. (Primarily dietary, leading to microbiome disruption, hormone disruption, Type 2 diabetes, etc. )

Homeopathic remedies for osteoarthritis have been very beneficial in treating OA in my hand and knees. It's a treatment that is often overlooked or unknown by many. Homeopathy has helped solve other issues over the years, including ridding my foot of persistent plantar warts. Highly recommend.

Eat fresh turmeric. Every day. Has worked in India for centuries. You'll still die, possibly of heart disease, but you will keep down your inflammation and may game the system by a few years of hopefully joyful living. I am one of those who can't eat it raw without stomach upset. I mince and saute it into my omelets and vegetarian dishes. Maybe that's lucky, after all, since most of my friends who eat it put it in smoothies--with lots of fruit juices (see Jane Brody's column today--counterproductive).

Both share a common cause: SAD, high in sugars, carbohydrates, heavily processed foods. Too much of a coincidence to be a mere coincidence?

So the issue is not really that osteoarthritis itself puts one at higher risk for heart disease, but that when people who have knee and hip osteoarthritis become inactive because of their injuries their risk of heart disease increases. I think it's important to clarify that this is not a causal relationship. The title is misleading.

I’ve had regular acupuncture treatments with Chinese herbs for years & can swim, do water aerobics, & walk regularly. I do occasionally take a couple tylenol.

I suffer from arthritis as a result of a childhood accident which has left me with a longer femur. After breaking the longer leg at age 30, and unaware of my condition--as my my parents had both died--I later began experiencing severe arthritis in my hip. So much so, that I could not walk, could not get healthcare after my previous health insurance charged me excessively for my broken leg, and ended up homeless as a result. I've only been able to rehabilitate myself through exercise, Yoga, Feldenkrais, cycling to jobs, even when in great pain, and choosing low-paying jobs which keep me standing or moving. And now I'm so generally fit that I don't qualify for disability. But it remains a struggle to gain any 'footing,' and I'm lucky to not have incurred a heart attack for the stress of it. What I've noticed in my attempts to receive assistance from social services in a myriad of ways, is that our so-called safety net is very dysfunctional, and that the medical establishment rewards medicating pain away, rather than longterm solutions like exercise and healthy living. Now, as a cyclist, I believe the automobile is probably one of the most damaging lifestyle choices, in that it requires sitting for long periods of time. Thanks for reading.

If you have osteoarthritis, “you have to learn how to move,” Dr. Englund added, “and to keep moving without injury. Exercise is really important in treating this illness. There is no quick fix. We have no wonder drug.” I absolutely agree. Working with an orthopedic surgeon and physical therapists, I am (at age 80) leading an active daily life even with mild arthritis. As a Silver Sneakers instructor comments during her sessions: "Everything is modifiable." No, I cannot walk 4 miles anymore but I am approaching 2 miles at a time. I had to give up tap dancing but I can enjoy ballroom dancing. For me the secret is twofold: maintaining a healthy weight and doing joint-strengthening exercises every day. Knee replacement surgery ten weeks ago has eliminated the extreme pain of loss of cartilage but it really does not eliminate arthritis. The more I move, the better I feel using a minimum of pain medications.

Mixing Frankincense carteri essential oil with a good unscented lotion and rubbing it on the knees helps the pain and inflammation for me and my brother is now using it also.. use therapeutic grade.

Anybody who claims he knows the cause of heart attacks or heart disease is fooling himself or is spreading prevailing propaganda. Cholesterol, HDL or LDL, has no bearing on the incidence of hardening of the arteries or myocardial infarction. Most recently, the Cleveland Clinic has placed inflammation of the arteries as the most likely markers. Specifically, 1) Myeloperoxidase, a white blood cell-derived inflammatory enzyme that shows disease activity from the luminal aspect of the arterial wall, and 2) C-Reactive Protein, which which is indicative of elevated inflammation of the arteries. Given that inflammatory compounds create heart disease, it is not a huge leap that these patients will have inflamed joints, resulting in arthritis and other autoimmune illnesses.

A major factor are increased IL-6 levels in chronic inflammatory conditions. Reducing IL-6 with simultaneous cholesterol lowering with a statin eliminates that risk.

There is hope on the horizon. Here is an article from Stanford University: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2019/05/mast-cells-crucial-to-causing-osteoarthritis.html

Inflammation is likely the root cause of both, and having any inflammation whether from arthritis or another disease likely increases the risk of heart disease.

What about after joint replacement?

Inactivity is a curse. This suggests that those who reduce their exercise because of severe arthritis pain might be better off in seeking knee or hip replacements earlier, while they are still limber - if that's an option. Alternately, they really need to have exercise routines that they can do, which maintain muscles and cardiovascular fitness. It's probably worth a consult with a physical therapist for ideas. ( PTs save lives!)

Perhaps all the Big Pharma drugs for osteoarthritis such as Celebrex, Cymbalta and many others are causing the heart problems.

The wonder drugs for osteoarthritis are NSAID's, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen are the most common treatments. They reduce the inflammation, damage, pain which allow people to do low impact activities. There are many activities that are comfortable for people with osteoarthritis after they've taken a dose of NSAID: swimming, bicycling (stationary or moving), yoga, Pilates, range of motion, stretching, light weight lifting, balance challenge are all recommended.