Recent research has revealed 8 more genes linked to osteoarthritis, bringing the total number of suspects to 11.

A study at Newcastle University, funded by the Arthritis Research Council has reinforced what practitioners and sufferers have suspected for some time.

Osteoarthritis affects over 40 % of the population over the age of 70 but practitioners commonly see patients in their 40’s onward, all relating the same story; “well it runs in the family you know”.

Whilst osteoarthritis is linked to injury and joint trauma, it is thought that inherited factors account for over half of the cases in the UK.

The research, published in The Lancet compared the DNA of 7,400 UK osteoarthritis patients with that of 11,000 healthy volunteers.

Being able to track down the main gene offenders gives scientists a greater understanding of the condition, how it affects our joints and look at potential new treatments.

More information

BBC – News article

The Lancet– Identification of new susceptibility loci for osteoarthritis (arcOGEN): a genome-wide association study