What is it about?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease that causes pain and disability, especially in older adults. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing OA. In this study, we used global health data from 1990 to 2021 to estimate how much of the worldwide burden of OA is linked to having a high body mass index (BMI). We found that the impact of high BMI on OA has grown significantly over the past 30 years, especially among women, older people, and in high-income countries. These findings highlight the growing need to address obesity as a way to reduce the burden of OA around the world.
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Why is it important?
This is the first study to systematically quantify the global burden of osteoarthritis (OA) specifically attributable to high body mass index (BMI) using the latest Global Burden of Disease 2021 data across 204 countries and territories. While the link between obesity and OA is well known, our study reveals the extent to which high BMI contributes to OA disability worldwide and how this burden has grown over the past three decades. By distinguishing OA cases related to high BMI from other causes, we provide timely evidence that supports global health priorities around obesity prevention and management. These findings can help inform policies, guide resource allocation, and raise awareness of the urgent need to address weight-related OA as a public health issue.
Perspectives
Working on this article has been a deeply meaningful experience for me. As a clinician interested in both musculoskeletal disorders and public health, it was especially rewarding to explore the global impact of obesity on osteoarthritis through the lens of large-scale population data. This project also marked an important step in developing independent research capacity within our hospital, and I hope it will serve as a foundation for future clinical and translational studies. I am excited to continue this line of work and contribute to strategies that can improve joint health outcomes at both individual and population levels.
Yi Lu
Department of Orthopedics, Chongming Branch, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital，China
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Global burden of osteoarthritis attributable to high body mass index, 1990‐2021: insights from the Global Burden of Disease study 2021, Arthritis & Rheumatology, May 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/art.43241.
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