Osteoarthritis (OA) is a non-inflammatory disease characterized by progressive loss of joint articular cartilage that results in pain and deformity. The disease is also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and osteoarthrosis. Epidemiologic data on OA varies depending on the source but the general consensus is that it is the most common joint disease affecting approximately 20-million Americans. Although people can be affected by OA at any age, is it most prevalent in the older population, with 65% of individuals over 65 years old having radiographic evidence of the disease in at least one joint. The disease will become even more prevalent as the cohort of baby boomers grows older in the near future.
The disease can significantly affect one’s quality of life. OA is the most common cause of disability in the United States, making up 17% of all disabled adults. It results in trouble walking and climbing stairs, with approximately 100,000 Americans unable to independently walk from bed to bathroom because of OA of the knee or hip. Even though the prevalence of OA is similar in both races, African Americans are about 1.5 times more likely to activity limitation attributed to OA. canadian pharmacy support net