Osteoathritis afflicts as many as 40 million people in the country. It affects more women than men and is responsible for 7 million physician visits per year. It is another equal opportunity condition, with men generally affected as often as women overall. However, there are subsets of OA in which women and men differ in frequency and type. Women have OA of the fingers more often, while men have OA of the knees and hips more often.
Some doctors believe that the lifestyles of both men and women account for the differences.
Where you live seems to be a factor. The warmer the climate, the worse it is. Since four to eight times your body weight presses on your knees when you are jumping or climbing stairs, it only makes sense that every pound of extra fat adds four to eight pounds more stress on the knees and hips. Another category of people prone to OA are hypermobiles, such as girls who can bend their ankles around their necks or do a split with one leg straight in front and one in back, or kids who can bend their thumbs back to touch their forearms. This hypermobility is useful for ballet, gymnastics, or diving, but such misuse and overuse can cause injury to the joints and bring on OA earlier than in other folks.