News & Events
Welcome to the Osteoarthritis (OA) Action Alliance news room, a resource for Alliance members and others seeking information on OA Action Alliance announcements, news and events. The findings and conclusions in these news articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the OA Action Alliance.
Call to Action on Walking
On April 30th the Arthritis Foundation submitted a letter to the Surgeon General in support of her Call to Action on Walking. With the support of 26 partner organizations of the OA Action Alliance we were able to show the Surgeon General that the Alliance supports this call to action. Collectively we were able to bring to her attention the importance of arthritis and the tools available to assist people in becoming more active.
Thank you to all of our member organizations that signed onto our letter to the Surgeon General.
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September 6, 2012
Study Shows Short Course of Oral Prednisolone Ineffective in OA Pain Management
In the first randomized, controlled trial of the use of low-dose corticosteroid alone for the management of painful hand osteoarthritis, researchers determined that a short-term course of low-dose oral prednisolone does not effectively manage the pain of hand OA.
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August 29, 2012
MRI Shows Evidence of Knee OA, Even When X-Rays Don't
A study of 710 people over the age of 50 determined that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows evidence of knee osteoarthritis among most of this population, even when their X-rays show no evidence knee OA.
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August 29, 2012
Perceived and Actual Functional Ability Similar in People with OA in One or Both Knees
A study examined the perceived and actual functional abilities of people who had osteoarthritis in both knees compared to those with OA in just one knee. Researchers determined that perceived functional abilities of the group with bilateral knee OA were similar to those of the group with unilateral OA. In addition, there were no significant differences between the groups in their actual functional abilities.
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August 28, 2012
Pharmacist-Delivered Intervention Successful in Improving Quality of Life in People with OA
A pharmacist-delivered intervention, which included: a knee OA screening questionnaire; education, pain medication management; guided exercise; and communication with a primary care physician was successful in improving the Arthritis Foundation’s Quality Measurements for OA among participants.
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August 27, 2012
Positive Attitude Associated with Increased Physical Activity in People with Knee OA
Depression has been associated with reduced daily walking among people with painful knee osteoarthritis, compared to those with knee OA who are not depressed. A recent study showed that high positive affect is associated with increased daily walking among adults with painful knee osteoarthritis.
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August 15, 2012
Study Shows BMI Affects Amount of Daily Walking More than Pain Does
A recent study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI), knee osteoarthritis, and knee pain. Individuals with severe obesity (BMI of 35 or greater) took significantly fewer walking steps per day than individuals of normal or below normal BMI. However, knee pain accounted for only a small percentage of the difference in these populations’ walking habits, indicating that BMI is associated with amount of walking per day, independent of knee pain.
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August 15, 2012
Study Shows BMI is Independent of Self-Reported Functional Improvement after Total Knee Replacement
A study recently determined that self-reported improvements in knee function and general health following total knee replacement were equivalent among patients with obesity and patients with a lower body mass index. The study authors assert that patients with obesity should therefore not be barred from receiving knee replacements.
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August 7, 2012
More People Walk to Better Health
Source: CDC Vital Signs
The CDC's August 7, 2012 edition of Vital Signs reports that more than 145 million adults now include walking as part of a physically active lifestyle. More adults with arthritis are now walking, according to the report. The percentage of all people who report walking at least once for 10 minutes or more in the previous week rose from 56% (2005) to 62% (2010).
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July 17, 2012
High Levels of Lifetime Occupational and Household Knee Trauma Associated with Increased Risk of Knee OA
Using a newly-developed measure of force on the knees over a lifetime, researchers determined that high levels of total lifetime occupational and household-related forces endured by the knees are associated with an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.
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May 16, 2012
Capitol Hill Briefing
In cooperation with the Congressional Arthritis Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Anna Eshoo and Rep. Sue Myrick, please join the Arthritis Foundation at the release of the report – Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis – a resource to help make physical activity convenient and accessible for adults with arthritis.
February 21, 2012
A Public Health Approach to Addressing Arthritis in Older Adults: The Most Common Cause of Disability
Source: American Journal of Public Health
Decreasing mortality rates combined with the entry of the large baby boomer generation into age groups at higher risk means that there will be many more older adults living more years with chronic conditions than ever before.
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February 10, 2012
Baby Boomers' Demand, Expectations for New Knees Soar
Source: USA Today
A soaring demand for new knees from aging Baby Boomers wanting to dance through Zumba workouts or zip down ski slopes is likely to lead to additional, more costly surgeries, according to a new report.
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February 6, 2012
The Institute of Medicine released a ground breaking report, Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Action, that was commissioned by the CDC and Arthritis Foundation. The report calls attention to the profound impact of chronic illness on the overall health of our nation and outlines a new vision and plan of action to reduce the crisis proportions of chronic illness that threaten the nation’s health and economic welfare. A news release announcing this important report was issued by the Arthritis Foundation.
December 19, 2011
Knee Pain Plagues Many Women Over 50
Source: HealthDay
Overweight, previous injury, arthritis predicted persistent discomfort, researchers found.
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November 6, 2011
New Stanford study: Arthritis results from inflammation, not just wear and tear
Source: Mercury news
Arthritis is driven by more than just simple wear and tear of joints, it is also prompted by a destructive process of inflammation, Stanford investigators found.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and affects approximately 27 million Americans. In 2004, OA-related hospital costs alone were estimated at $22.6 billion.
The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA) is an independent organization and references made by the OAAA or on this website to any specific commercial or non-commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by any of the individual OAAA member organizations.