The obesity epidemic has been with us for quite some time. Nearly
two out of three Americans suffer from obesity or are overweight,
increasing their risk of health problems such as high blood pressure,
diabetes, sleep disorders and even premature death.
But the list doesn't stop there.
With Americans lugging around those extra pounds, knee problems
are added to the roster. In fact, being extremely overweight results
in more than half of the nation's annual operations to repair
tears in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint. However, more
pressure on the knees may not be the only culprit; one possible
factor may be that obese people have circulation problems that reduce
the blood supply to the cartilage.
Kneeded Findings
In a study that focused on the link between injuries to the meniscus
(which acts as a washer in the knee), researchers studied some 550
patients, aged 50-79, from 1996-2000 who had a meniscus tear repaired.
In a comparison of the patients and their surgeries, the study showed:
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Patients with a body mass index (BMI) slightly above the healthy
range were three times more likely to have a cartilage tear.
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The heaviest male and female patients were 15 and 25 times
more likely, respectively, to experience a cartilage tear.
Though, according to researchers, these numbers could be even higher.
Why? Because they only represent patients who had surgeries and
exclude those who elected not to have surgery or didn't even
bother to have their knees examined by a physician.
American
Journal of Preventive Medicine May 2005, Vol. 28, Issue 4: 364-368
Newsday
May 6, 2005
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