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Osteoarthritis Research from ARIA
The Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study
Where do we go from here?
Osteoarthritis Next Generation Offspring Study
What is Osteoarthritis?
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
How is it diagnosed?
What if I need surgery?
President’s Letter from Dr. John Barrett Jr.
Osteoarthritis Research from ARIA
Since 1988, The Arthritis Research Institute of America has focused 100% of its efforts on osteoarthritis research. With more than 30 scientific papers on our “Our Research Papers” page, you’ll find research that leads to a better understanding of the disease. Over 3700 volunteer participants from Florida have participated in the landmark Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study. The study is designed to uncover the causes and cures for the disease, the number one crippler of American adults. More than 20 million people suffer from osteoarthritis. By 2030, about 70 million people, some 20% of Americans, will be at risk for it. Our research and published papers are just the first step in curing osteoarthritis.
If you or someone you love has knee pain, neck pain, foot pain or hand pain, osteoarthritis may be the culprit. From weekend warriors to joggers, fitness fans of all kinds are seeing the results of wear and tear on their joints. Scientists are now realizing that genetics may also play a big role in susceptibility to osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis strikes people in more than their joints; it also affects their finances and lifestyles. Treatments like medicines and surgery are expensive. Add to that the wages lost because of disability. One in three families are touched by osteoarthritis, with a cost to the economy of $13 trillion.
The Arthritis Research Institute of America, through its low cost, community based studies, seeks the causes and cures for this disease. We contribute to public health, offer our landmark research and provide a forum for our volunteers and our family of financial supporters to commit their resources to making medical history. We welcome your help in the fight against osteoarthritis.
For Today and Tomorrow
Every year, arthritis, of which osteoarthritis is the most common form, results in 750,000 hospitalizations and 36 million outpatient visits.
The Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study
This study’s purpose is to identify risk factors that increase the chances of getting osteoarthritis. ARIA studies factors such as heredity, obesity, occupation, injury and personal lifestyle. Clearwater was chosen as the focal point of the study because of its demographic makeup, which has a significantly higher aging population than the rest of America. Clearwater is a forerunner of what this country and the world will look like in the decades to come.
Finding the answers…
- Are you susceptible to osteoarthritis?
- Do genes or ethnicity help or hinder you when it comes to osteoarthritis?
- If you injure yourself, what is the likelihood of getting osteoarthritis in later years?
- What is the best exercise for your joints?
- Do certain foods or supplements help in the prevention of arthritis?
Where do we go from here?
The Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study runs until 2013. We hope to make great strides in the future towards a life free of the epidemic of osteoarthritis.
- Digitization will produce a clearer picture of joints under study. We hope for a mobile X-ray unit to reach out to persons whose osteoarthritis may prohibit their ability – but not their desire – to complete the study.
- Advanced screening tools will allow us to investigate other aspects of the disease.
The Next Generation: The Offspring Study
We look forward to studying a second generation; adding a genetic component to our study and to learn how changes in lifestyles, environment and more, affect the next generation’s propensity for acquiring osteoarthritis. Our work should pay off for the next generation. New treatments and prevention methods will appear. And the sons and daughters of Baby Boomers should know by then how they can avoid osteoarthritis to live healthier and longer. Through research, we hope to improve the quality of life for you and your children.
What is Osteoarthritis?
As our joints age, they begin to lose their ability to act as shock absorbers between bones.
The cartilage that covers the ends of weight-bearing joints such as the knee, hips and ankles begins to break down. The joints in the hands, feet and cervical spine are also common areas for osteoarthritis to develop.
As the cartilage breaks down with age or after an injury, the smooth surface that would normally cushion the movement of bones that form the joints becomes thinner or rougher. In severe osteoarthritis, the cartilage will wear away completely and cause bones to grind each other without a shock absorber. Pain, inflammation and lack of mobility are the results.
As one’s osteoarthritis becomes more severe, pain and immobility will severely affect the patient’s ability to enjoy life. Aging and being overweight can increase your chances of developing osteoarthritis, as well as an injury to a certain joint or a family history of the disease.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the “old bones” and “snap, crackle and pop” that affects more than 27 million Americans. According to the American College of Rheumatology, more than 70 percent of Americans older than 70 have x-rays that show osteoarthritis.
Deep, aching pain in the joints is often the first symptom of of the disease. After a workout, it may take longer to recover. Activities that never caused discomfort begin to cause pain. Joints may begin to feel stiff when it’s time to get out of bed or after prolonged sitting. Crackling joints that look larger or change shape may be another symptom.
How is it diagnosed?
An x-ray and an exam by your doctor will determine if you have osteoarthritis. Patients usually have a good idea that something’s amiss when they visit their doctor to ask about joint pain and inflammation. Complicated and expensive lab tests aren’t needed to diagnose osteoarthritis.
How can I live with osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but its symptoms can be managed. Some patients find that topical agents such as capsaicin cream and taking acetaminophen help them control pain and stiffness. Other patients with osteoarthritis of the knee have found relief taking chondroitin glucosamine joint fluid, although it doesn’t seem to be as effective for patients with osteoarthritis in other joints. Much research is still needed in this area.
Movement that doesn’t stress the joints, but strengthens the muscles around them, may also be beneficial. Ask your doctor to recommend an exercise that is low impact, but beneficial to your mental and physical health.
More severe cases of osteoarthritis may require prescription medications or corticosteroid injections. Surgery to replace the affected joint is a last resort when other methods aren’t effective to treat pain and immobility. Arthroscopy that is minimally invasive will allow your doctor to remove damage in the cartilage without a major surgical procedure or visible scars. In some cases, a joint may need to be replaced to restore its ability to function.
A new joint called a prosthesis is used to replace the damaged area. The prosthesis can be made of plastic, metal or a combination of both.
President’s Letter from Dr. John Barrett Jr.
The early 1980’s were an exciting time to be in medicine. As a young practicing orthopedic surgeon, the advances being made to treat late stage osteoarthritis energized me. The total knee and total hip replacements were being used with great success. Many people who had been previously crippled by osteoarthritis were able to enjoy active lifestyles thanks to these advanced procedures.
But there were other areas of medicine to be excited about, too. The Framingham Study Data was being released and the effect on public health in America was staggering. Those forward-thinking physicians who started the Framingham Heart Study in 1948 were now able to scientifically prove what many practicing cardiologists intuitively knew. That is, that life style can, and does affect heart disease. In fact, they armed us with knowledge that we could modify our lifestyles and delay or even prevent the onset of heart disease. Previously, it was thought that heart disease was just a consequence of getting older. Something we would just have to live with. Now, we know that’s just not so. And it got me thinking. If we can prevent or delay the onset of heart disease, why can’t we do the same for osteoarthritis?
The question dogged me day and night. And the answer was clear. We can undertake the same sort of community based study to uncover the risk factors for osteoarthritis. We don’t have to settle for getting osteoarthritis just because we are advancing in age. And so, the Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study was born.
Twenty-five years later we have over 3,600 participants in this epidemiological study. We’ve published findings in prestigious peer reviewed medical journals like Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Rheumatology and Annals of Epidemiology, just to name a few. We house the world’s largest library of serial X-rays of the hands, knees, feet and neck. We are close to completing this landmark study. But so much work remains to be done.
I hope you’ll join me, The Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study volunteer and our family of over 25,000 advocates across the country in support of this important medical research. This Web site will help you learn more about our work and how you can help. Our future is bright. We are now on track to mine 25 years of data with a plan to publish 50 new research papers in the next three years!
Dr. John Barrett
Wishing you and your family the best health,
John Barrett Jr.