From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading:

Nearly 27 million adults in the US suffer from osteoarthritis, with 16% of cases in people ages 45 and older affecting the knee. Nineteen percent of knee osteoarthritis patients are women (13.5% are men), but there may be a way for women to protect themselves from the pain of arthritic knees. A new study that followed more than 3000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 79 found that stronger quadricep (thigh) muscles may protect older adults from developing the combinations of osteoarthritis and daily knee pain or stiffness. Men with strong thigh muscles had only a slight edge over men with weaker muscles in preventing knee pain, but the women with the strongest thigh muscles had a lower incidence of painful knee osteoarthritis. For those looking to strengthen their thigh muscles, the researchers suggest climbing up and down stairs slowly, either one or two stairs at a time. Stair climbing improves the leg muscles, which, according to this study, reduces the risk of painful arthritis in the knees, and also helps older individuals preserve their independence.

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