Study shows that high bone mineral density scores are associated with lower risk of painful hip osteoarthritis (OA)
Despite the growing base of data from arthritis research, there remains a lack of adequate scientific information regarding the relationship between bone mineral density and hip osteoarthritis (OA). A new study shows that while higher bone mineral density may lower the risk of painful hip OA among middle-aged and older adults followed for a median of 6.5 years, having “intermediate” (vs. “low” or “high”) bone mineral density may increase the risk of OA – including OA accompanied by symptoms – in knees. Overall, these results suggest that having high bone mineral density does not increase the risk of hip or knee OA, and may reduce the risk of painful hip OA.