Knee Osteoarthritis in Women

Osteoarthritis of the knee joints is a disabling condition that affects many older people, including women after the menopause. According to a new study, women near the menopause with low levels of estrogen (estradiol and 2-hydroxyesterone, to be precise) are two to three times more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those with higher levels. Earlier studies have examined women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and have yielded conflicting results, but this particular study enrolled on 840 women not on HRT.

It’s known that high levels of estrogen break-down products such as 2-hydroxyesterone play an important role in the breakdown of arachidonic acid, which itself is used for synthesizing pro-inflammatory and pain-producing substances. So there seems to be a mechanism by which low estrogen levels may allow more arthritis. However, that doesn’t mean there’s a preventive medication in the pipeline, yet.