Women are at more risk of developing arthritis than men after the age of 40, according to a recent study.
The study found that osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), both of which are two very common forms of the disease, are more common in women.
The findings are based on more than 6.4 million samples received for the disease which were tested between January 2014August 2017, conducted at the SRL diagnostic laboratories across India.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease mainly affecting the tissues around the joints causing inflammation and deformity of the joints.
"RA affects between 0.5-1 per cent of the population in India," Dr Avinash Phadke, president of the Technology and Mentor (Clinical Pathology), SRL Diagnostics, said.
Women are seen three to four times more frequently affected with RA than men. The onset is generally seen in 35- 55 years of age-group, he said.
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease caused by cartilage loss in a joint and is more common in elderly people.
"Although the word arthritis means joint inflammation, the term is used to describe more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions affecting the bones and tissues. Alarmingly, India will emerge as the capital of osteoarthritis by 2025 with over 60 million likely to be affected," Phadke said.
He said one of the main reasons is the increasing longevity and the fast-rising obesity.
"Early signs should not be ignored, early diagnosis and treatment can save the joints. Maintaining joint health lifelong should be a goal of everyone's life," he said.
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