Background/Purpose: To report on the prevalence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis (OA) in the population aged 45-85 years, and the prevalence of knee, hip and hand symptoms compatible with an OA diagnosis.

Methods: Data are from the baseline ‘Comprehensive’ subsample of the population-based Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) (n=30,097, ages 45 to 85 years). Respondents were asked whether a doctor had ever told them they had arthritis, including OA in the knee, hip, or hand. All CLSA respondents, irrespective of arthritis diagnosis, were asked about symptoms compatible with OA (Sx-OA). These were pain during the past 4 weeks on most days in the knee, hip (groin or upper inner thigh) or hand (base of thumb or small joints close to fingernails), swelling in the knee, pain in the knee or pain in the hip while walking down stairs or climbing down slopes, and enlargement of the hand joints.

Results: Overall 53% (n= 16,024) of the sample reported either doctor diagnosed OA or Sx-OA in at least one of the 3 sites (knee, hip or hand). Specifically, 26% reported OA and 27% reported Sx-OA but not OA. 80% of those with OA and 37% of those without OA reported Sx-OA. Over 40% of respondents with OA and over 50% of those with Sx-OA but not OA were aged less than 65. Of respondents with OA, 57% reported knee OA, 32% reported hip OA, and 49% reported hand OA, with 30% reporting OA at more than one site. Of individuals with only Sx-OA, 55% reported knee symptoms, 12% reported hip symptoms, and 54% reported hand symptoms, with 20% of respondents reporting Sx-OA at more than one site. The proportion with OA at more than one site increased with age, from 20% for respondents aged 45-54 to 35% for respondents aged 75-85, with the corresponding increase for only Sx-OA from 17% to 23%. The proportion of respondents reporting overall general pain (not specific to arthritis) was 55% for those with OA, 40% for those with only Sx-OA. There was little variability in this proportion by age for both these groups. The proportion needing help with at least one daily living activity was 27% for the OA group, and 17% for the only Sx-OA group with an increase with age for both groups.

Conclusion: Similar proportions of this population-based sample reported having OA (knee, hip or hand) or joint symptoms compatible with OA in these joints. Though overall proportions differed, similar age and multijoint patterns were found between OA and Sx-OA without OA groups. The proportion of Sx-OA without OA reporting general pain or needing help was somewhat lower than those with OA but still substantial. Whether Sx-OA represents as yet undiagnosed OA is unknown until follow-up data from the next cycle of the CLSA are available. The high proportion of people with OA-compatible symptoms represent a potential target for the attention of primary care physicians, arthritis organizations and public health to encourage seeking a diagnosis and to stress the value of participation in physical activity and other arthritis pain management strategies.

« Back to 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/symptoms-compatible-with-osteoarthritis-and-self-reported-osteoarthritis-in-the-population-findings-from-the-canadian-longitudinal-study-on-aging/