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Flexibility
Lowers Arthritis Risk in Older Women
Older women who are "double-jointed" -- or those
who have super-flexible joints -- are less likely to have
arthritic knees than their peers, according to a study of
British women.
It's not clear from the study if women were born with extra-flexible
joints or obtained them through a lifetime of exercise and
stretching, according to Tim Spector, a professor of rheumatology
at St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
However, the findings suggest the retaining flexibility
in old age can ward off arthritis, Spector stated.
"Our research suggests that both the innate or the
exercise route (to flexibility) both seem to help prevent
arthritis -- so exercise and stretching should be encouraged,"
said Spector.
"In our study we only tested the women once and can't
really separate hypermobile women who remained flexible
from normal women who exercised and stretched to become
more flexible than their sedentary peers," said Spector.
People with hypermobile joints, as it's known medically,
have an expanded range of motion. They can often pull their
thumbs down to touch their wrists and have elbows that hyper-extend
when they stretch out their arms. And the knees of double-jointed
people may bow backwards when they stand up straight.
It's the looseness of the structures surrounding the joint
that allow it to have more motion, similar to a hinge on
a door that allows it to swing open and closed.
In some cases, hypermobility is a sign of inherited connective
tissue or bone disease, and some studies had suggested it
might actually increase the risk of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis
occurs when the cartilage that cushions joints breaks down,
often leading to pain, swelling and loss of mobility.
In a study of 716 women in England, 79 had some degree of
joint hypermobility, a proportion consistent with the overall
population. Most of these women showed increased flexibility
in the spinal region and hip joints -- allowing them to
easily bend at the waist and place their hands flat on the
floor.
The women, ages 53 to 72, were part of the Chingford Study
in London. In the ongoing study, predominantly middle-class
white women have received regular x-rays and bone mineral
density measurements since 1988.
Spector and his colleagues found that bone mineral density
was three percent higher in the hips of the hypermobile
group compared with other women. There was no difference
in spine bone mineral density between the two groups of
women, according to the study in the current issue of the
Journal of Rheumatology.
The researchers also looked for osteoarthritis in the hands,
knees, spine and hips of hypermobile women. Compared to
their normal-jointed counterparts, hypermobile women showed
a reduced risk for arthritis in the knees only.
People born with looser joints may be drawn to physical
activity, which may also play a role in arthritis risk,
according to Spector.
Women who were taller and more hypermobile in the study
were also more physically active throughout their lifetimes.
Spector says that may explain the differences in bone mineral
density and arthritis between the hypermobile women and
those with less flexible joints.
"We can't prove it -- as it's a chicken and egg situation
-- but our data certainly strongly suggest an effect that
may be related to fitness and flexibility, rather than exercise
per se," he said.
This means that hypermobility in an aging population may
be an advantage and a marker of fitness when it persists
later in life.
Spector recommends that all postmenopausal women concentrate
on flexibility, exercise regularly and keep their body mass
index -- a ratio of weight to height -- below 25. He says
all these can help prevent osteoarthritis.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American
Geriatrics Society recommend that adults engage in 30 minutes
of moderate physical activity every day. In addition to
the cardiovascular benefits, they say exercise strengthens
bones and reduces joint and muscle pain.
SOURCE: The Journal of Rheumatology 2003;30:799-803.
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: Stephanie Riesenman
Net Reference 89
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