(dailyRx News) Osteoarthritis and high cholesterol may seem like
totally unrelated conditions. But as it turns out, the same
medicines that lower cholesterol may also help prevent
osteoarthritis. Cholesterol-lowering statins are prescribed to
reduce stroke and heart attacks. Risk factors for developing
osteoarthritis (the "wear and tear" form of arthritis) include
old age, obesity and previous injury to joints. Recent research
has suggested that patients with cardiovascular disease and high
cholesterol are at an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Results
showed that patients taking high doses of statins had a lower
rate of osteoarthritis. Umesh Kadam, PhD, of Health Services
Research Unit at Keele University in the United Kingdom, and
colleagues set out to determine if patients taking statins had
reduced rates of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis happens when the
cartilage between joints wears away. With no cartilage, bones
grind together and can cause pain, swelling and stiffness. The
study included 16,609 patie