Osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis treatment and risk of incident dementia: a prospective cohort study based on UK Biobank

• Published in: Age and ageing 2024-08, Vol.53 (8)
• Main Authors: Guo, Rong, Ou, Ya-Nan, Ma, Li-Yun, Tang, Lian, Yang, Liu, Feng, Jian-Feng, Cheng, Wei, Tan, Lan, Yu, Jin-Tai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - epidemiology; Alzheimer's disease; Arthritis; Atrophy; Biobanks; Brain atrophy; Cohort analysis; Dementia; Dementia - epidemiology; Dementia disorders; Dementia, Vascular - diagnosis; Dementia, Vascular - epidemiology; Drugs; Female; Humans; Incidence; Linear Models; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Neurodegenerative diseases; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis - epidemiology; Osteoarthritis - therapy; Population studies; Professional associations; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Protective Factors; Regression analysis; Research Paper; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Surgery; Time Factors; UK Biobank; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Vascular dementia
• ISSN: 0002-0729; 1468-2834; 1468-2834
• DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afae167

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate the association between OA and treatment with dementia risk and structural brain abnormalities. Methods We recruited a total of 466,460 individuals from the UK Biobank to investigate the impact of OA on the incidence of dementia. Among the total population, there were 63,081 participants diagnosed with OA. We subsequently categorised the OA patients into medication and surgery groups based on treatment routes. Cox regression models explored the associations between OA/OA treatment and dementia risk, with the results represented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Linear regression models assessed the associations of OA/OA therapy with alterations in cortical structure. Results During an average of 11.90 (± 1.01) years of follow-up, 5,627 individuals were diagnosed with all-cause dementia (ACD), including 2,438 AD (Alzheimer’s disease), and 1,312 VaD (vascular dementia) cases. Results revealed that OA was associated with the elevated risk of ACD (HR: 1.116; 95% CI: 1.039–1.199) and AD (HR: 1.127; 95% CI: 1.013–1.254). OA therapy lowered the risk of dementia in both medication group (HR: 0.746; 95% CI: 0.652–0.854) and surgery group (HR: 0.841; 95% CI: 0.736–0.960). OA was negatively associated with cortical area, especially precentral, postcentral and temporal regions. Conclusions Osteoarthritis increased the likelihood of developing dementia, and had an association with regional brain atrophy. OA treatment lowered the dementia risk. OA is a promising modifiable risk factor for dementia.