5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  A Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 reports a significant rise in osteoarthritis cases among postmenopausal women from 1990 to 2021.

• 2

  In 2021, there were approximately 14.3 million incident cases and nearly 279 million prevalent cases of osteoarthritis among postmenopausal women.

• 3

  The study found that high body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor, contributing to over 20% of disability-adjusted life years for osteoarthritis.

• 4

  Osteoarthritis burden increased with age, peaking at 80–84 years for knee OA and at age 55 for hand OA, with women experiencing a higher burden than men.

• 5

  The study highlights regional disparities in osteoarthritis burden, with high-income Asia Pacific and East Asia showing the most substantial increases.