The relationship between knee osteoarthritis and ischaemic heart disease among patients attending the National Hospital of Sri Lanka – A comparative study

Background & Aim: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent type of arthritis worldwide, and the knee is the most commonly affected joint of all. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is also a major contributor to disability, among other cardiovascular diseases. A growing amount of research suggests that OA may be considered a cardiovascular risk factor. This study aims to assess the relationship between knee OA and IHD among patients attending the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL).

Methods: A comparative study was conducted on 80 patients, aged between 50 and 75 years, at NHSL. Among them, 40 patients diagnosed with IHD from Cardiology Institute and medical clinics were selected as the study group, and 40 patients from medical clinics who were not diagnosed with IHD were selected as the control group. Two groups were matched for age and gender. Diagnosis of knee OA and IHD in the participants was established by a valid diagnosis made by a registered medical officer. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was administered to collect data. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-squared test were used for data analysis.

Results: The majority were older adults between 61 and 65 years (n=12, 30.0%), and females (n=22, 55.0%) in both study and control groups. The percentage of those with knee OA was significantly higher in study group (n=15, 37.5%) than in the control group (n=6, 15.0%) (OR=3.4; 95% CI=1.156-9.996; p=0.022).

Conclusions & Recommendations: Patients with knee OA are at a significantly higher risk of developing IHD. Patient education focusing on OA prevention is highly recommended.