Liam Gallagher recently revealed that he is suffering from arthritis, leaving him with excruciating pain and the realisation that he will probably need hip replacement surgery. Most people associate arthritis with old age, but Gallagher is just 49. So how unusual is it to develop such severe arthritis before old age? Well, it depends on the type of arthritis.
While there are a number of different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common. Osteoarthritis is common in older people, but it is possible for it to develop in younger people.
A number of factors have been associated with the development of osteoarthritis, including ageing, being overweight, having an injury (such as having a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee – a common affliction among footballers) and genetic susceptibility. In Gallagher’s case, it may be linked to Hashimoto’s disease – a thyroid condition he was diagnosed with a few years ago. Hashimoto’s disease is associated with arthritis.
