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For millions of people, osteoarthritis slowly breaks down the joints, bringing pain, swelling and stiffness that make free movement harder with time. It is largely a condition of age, with 73% of those living with it older than 55. For years, the wear and tear that comes with aging and physical trauma was considered a major driver of the disease. A recent study published in Science, however, points to a metabolic disease that is also highly common among this demographic as a contributing factor in osteoarthritis progression.

A look at national health data from 36,820 Korean adults ages 45 and older revealed that high blood pressure was linked to osteoarthritis, with stronger associations in more severely damaged knees.

In mouse models, the researchers saw that hypertension actively drives joint breakdown in aging or injured joints. The damaging mechanism was coordinated by a brain hormone and a hormone receptor found in joints. These two components created conditions that ramped up destructive enzymes that break down cartilage. At the same time, they suppressed the production of cartilage components, such as collagen and aggrecan, that joints need to repair themselves.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability in older adults and affected an estimated 595 million people in 2020. 2% since 1990.

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