Prevalence of osteoarthritis of weight bearing joints in relation to body weight in both genders

Obesity is an important and increasing public health problem, being a risk factor for overall mortality and major chronic disease. To determine relationship between different measures of body mass index and incidence of hip and knee osteoarthritis in male and female. Comparison of prevalence of primary osteoarthritis of knee and hip. Between age and sex matched control from outpatient clinic of Erbil and Rizgary teaching hospital over period of eleven months starting on Jan 2007.this constituted one hundred and eighty five subjects of normal body `mass index. And one hundred and sixty subjects with high body mass index. Subjects fulfilling our inclusion criteria underwent clinical evaluation and radiology of their knee and hip joints, we assessed by chi-squared test, differences in frequency of osteoarthritis between those with normal body mass index and those with high body mass index and between male and female Obesity was a stronger predictor of osteoarthritis of knee joint with no sex and age difference. In the prevalence of osteoarthritis of hip joint. No link between obesity and hip osteoarthritis was found in this study. Obesity in 35-45 year old men and female will predispose to primary osteoarthritis of the knee

Islamic praying and osteoarthritis changes of weight bearing joints

Find out whether daily physical activities of Islamic praying predispose to or protect from osteoarthritis [OA] of weight bearing joints. Comparison of prevalence of primary OA of knees and/or hips between age and weight matching prayers and non-prayers men. Civil official and employees from different establishments in Erbil City [191 Subjects] and [21 subjects] from out-patient clinics of Rizgary and Erbil Teaching Hospital-Erbil, over a period of eight months starting on Jan 2004. This constituted one hundred and eleven prayers and 101 subjects not practicing Islamic praying. Subjects fulfilling our inclusion criteria underwent clinical evaluation and radiology of their knee and hip joints. We assessed, by Chi-squared test, differences in frequency of OA between prayers and non-prayers, and between the > 20 year prayers who lay hand first on prostrating from erect posture and the same duration prayers who lay their knees first. No single OA of hip was encountered. OA of knees was significantly less [p<0.01] prevalent among prayers than those who did not practice Islamic praying. Differentially, laying knees first on prostrating from erect posture was associated with significantly [p<0.05] higher frequency of OA of knees as compared with those who lay their hands first on the praying rug [ground]. Islamic praying in 46-60 year-old men, of normal or marginal overweight [BMI 20-27 kg/m2], protects from primary OA of the knees. Laying palms first on prostrating from standing position appears to preclude a likely harmful effect on the knee joints presumably form repeated "hitting" of ground under the praying rug if laid first on prostration