New research has found a link between atopic diseases, such as asthma and eczema and an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA).
The study, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, looked at OA rates in more than 334,000 patients with an average age of 52. They have suggested that the allergic reactions which cause asthma and eczema can lead to swelling that results in OA, which is a debilitating and painful condition.
The researchers analysed data of 117,346 individuals with atopic diseases and found that they saw 27 new cases per 1000 people compared to 19 for those without over the 10 year period of the study.
