A recent study published in Nature Communications reveals that osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease may share genetic risk factors, offering new insights into the causes of both conditions.
Osteoarthritis and Cardiovascular Disease
Osteoarthritis is a common musculoskeletal condition affecting millions globally and is often linked to other health issues, including cardiovascular disease. Both conditions can be influenced by environmental factors such as aging, smoking, lack of physical activity, and obesity. In some cases, people may suffer from both diseases, potentially due to these shared environmental risks or a common genetic predisposition.
Despite some known genetic risk factors for both diseases, it has been unclear how much these conditions share in terms of genetic causes.
Key Findings of the Study
This study aimed to determine whether the co-occurrence of osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease is due to shared genetic or environmental factors. Researchers analyzed data from twin studies, which provided a unique opportunity to study genetic and environmental influences on these diseases.
The final analysis included 59,970 twins from 29,985 pairs. Of the participants, 7,363 had osteoarthritis in their hands, hips, or knees, while 13,685 had severe cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.
Osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease were found to be the most common combined diagnoses, with monozygotic (identical) twins showing higher concordance for these conditions than dizygotic (fraternal) twins.
The study found that shared genetic factors were largely responsible for the co-occurrence of osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease, independent of other factors like age, sex, education, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and physical activity.
Interestingly, the shared genetic risk was more significant for the combination of hip osteoarthritis and severe cardiovascular disease, particularly cardiac arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, and stroke. In contrast, knee osteoarthritis showed a more complex interaction with unique environmental factors contributing to its co-occurrence with severe cardiovascular diseases.
Study Implications
These findings challenge the previous assumption that osteoarthritis primarily increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study suggests that shared genetic factors might contribute to both conditions, regardless of common environmental risks. This insight may help explain previous research showing a 24-69% increased risk of cardiovascular disease in people with osteoarthritis.
The study also highlights the role of specific environmental factors, which might act differently for each disease. For instance, in high-performance athletes, the risk of injury and osteoarthritis increases, while the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases.
The genetic overlap between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease also calls for a reassessment of the diagnostic boundaries between these two conditions. The researchers propose the existence of a unique osteoarthritis/cardiovascular disease phenotype, which requires further exploration. Future studies should focus on identifying the specific genes responsible for this shared genetic risk and how lifestyle factors may influence genetic predisposition.
The study underscores the importance of family history in disease risk. A family history of osteoarthritis or cardiovascular disease increases the likelihood of developing these conditions, making it crucial for doctors to consider patients’ family health backgrounds when assessing their risks.
Study Strengths
A key strength of the study is its use of a large, population-based twin sample, which reduces selection bias and enhances the generalizability of the findings. The study’s twin modeling approach offers valuable insights into the genetic and environmental mechanisms behind these diseases and sets the stage for future research on their shared causes.
Overall, this study provides new perspectives on the genetic links between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease, offering potential pathways for early detection, prevention, and personalized treatment.
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