medwireNews: Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for arthritis, osteoporosis, and musculoskeletal pain, study findings indicate.
Using data from 109,218 participants of the Danish National Health Survey 2013 aged 40 years and older, Stig Molsted (Nordsjællands Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark) and co-researchers found that 44% of 9238 patients with diabetes reported having osteoarthritis, compared with just 29% of 99,980 individuals without diabetes, translating into a significant 33% increased risk among those with diabetes after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI.
Patients with diabetes also had a significant 71% increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis and a 29% increased risk for osteoporosis relative to control individuals, as well as a 27–44% higher likelihood of reporting pain in the back, limbs, or shoulder/neck.
“The reported pains may have negative impacts on the level of physical activity in individuals with diabetes,” suggest Molsted and team. They emphasize that because physical activity is “a recognized element in the treatment of diabetes and arthritis,” it may have a beneficial effect on both glycemic control and musculoskeletal pain.
The findings were reported in a poster presentation at the 54th EASD Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany.
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