Social isolation can increase risk of osteoarthritis: Study

Apart from affecting health and well-being, social isolation can also lead to osteoarthritis (arthritis) in older adults, suggests a recent study.People who have arthritis often have other health issues which may increase their risk of becoming socially isolated. These include anxiety and depression, being afraid to move around (because arthritis makes moving painful), physical inactivity, and being unable to take care of themselves.Some 30 per cent of adults aged 65 and older have arthritis to some degree, especially in their leg joints. Despite that, until now there has been little research on the relationship between arthritis and social isolation.In the study published in the journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers examined the information from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) study. They wanted to learn whether there is an association between arthritis and social isolation and to identify the disease's contribution to social isolation.The researchers