Arthritis Can Complicate Diabetes
Making exercise tougher, joint disorder thwarts needed treatment

(HealthDay News) -- In a medical double whammy, more than half of people who have diabetes end up developing arthritis, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And, since exercise is a key component to managing diabetes, the pain of arthritis might be especially troublesome for those with diabetes.

"The prevalence of arthritis is astoundingly high in people with diabetes," Dr. John H. Klippel, president and chief executive of the Arthritis Foundation, told HealthDay . "Over half the people with diabetes have arthritis.

"People with diabetes are going to have to pay a lot more attention to their arthritis if they hope to achieve better control of their diabetes," he added.

Almost 21 million Americans have diabetes, according to the CDC report, published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . Most have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with overweight and obesity.

Extra weight, Klippel said, might be the link between arthritis and diabetes.

"In addition, those individuals who have diabetes and arthritis are less physically active," he explained.

"We know that physical activity is critically important for the control of diabetes, both for the control of blood glucose and the prevention of complications," he said. "Public health efforts to control diabetes are going to have to begin to pay attention to this problem of arthritis if we ever hope to get people physically active."

What's more, he said, people with arthritis need to realize that activity can help them as well.

"Many people with arthritis don't exercise because it hurts them," Klippel said. "But they have to understand that if they exercise, it will actually reduce their pain and prevents the disease from progressing."

The CDC report, which used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, found that almost one-third of people with both diabetes and arthritis were inactive. In people who have diabetes only, about 21 percent were inactive. About 17 percent of those with arthritis only were sedentary. By comparison, 10 percent of people who had neither condition were inactive.

The CDC recommends that people with arthritis participate in regular physical activity to decrease pain, improve function and delay disability. General recommendations call for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at least three days a week. The activity can be done in smaller intervals, such as three 10-minute sessions a day.

In addition to exercise, weight loss has been shown to be another important factor in the management of both diabetes and arthritis. Losing weight helps get blood sugar levels under control, and losing about 10 pounds can decrease the risk of developing new arthritis. However, any weight loss probably helps keep arthritis from getting worse, according to the CDC.

The agency also recommends avoiding repetitive movements of the joints, something that can occur in certain jobs and recreational activities. Avoiding joint injuries can lessen the risk of osteoarthritis, it says.

On the Web

To learn more about arthritis and its treatments, visit the National Institute on Aging.

SOURCES: HealthDay News ; John H. Klippel, M.D., president and chief executive, Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta; May 9, 2008, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CDC (www.cdc.gov)
Author: Serena Gordon
Publication Date: May 31, 2009
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