Osteoarthritis eats into the quality of life of the elderly When it comes to common diseases and illnesses of the elderly, the words “hypertension”, “coronary heart disease”, “hyperlipidemia”, “diabetes”, etc. often come to mind. “Diabetes” and other words. These metabolic diseases, which are highly related to age, diet and lifestyle, are a serious threat to the health and lives of the elderly. In recent years, with the increasing government investment in medical and health care and the follow-up of health education in public media, the concern of metabolic diseases among the elderly and the whole society continues to rise. However, in contrast, public attention to osteoarthritis is still in the “glacial period”. When I interviewed several seniors at the park and asked them about osteoarthritis prevention and treatment, their answers were surprisingly consistent – “Arthritis is a rheumatic disease, so if you don’t keep warm when you’re young, you’ll suffer now. The former is a degenerative disease related to age, weight, metabolism and other factors, mainly manifested by the destruction of joint cartilage and lesions of the subchondral bone plate; while the latter is an auto immune disease. There are fundamental differences in the principles of treatment between the two. As Shanghai ages, the number of people suffering from osteoarthritis is becoming increasingly large. The latest statistics show that nearly 70% of people over the age of 65 suffer from osteoarthritis to varying degrees. Although this disease does not directly endanger the lives of the elderly, the impact on their quality of life can be devastating. I often encounter such elderly people in my practice – joint pain and movement disorders persist for years, eventually progressing to stiff joints and bed-riddenness, and it is only then that they finally make up their minds to see a doctor.
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