ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Rheumatology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1561750
The Impact of High BMI on the Global Burden of Osteoarthritis from 1990 to 2021 and Future Projections
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- 2Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
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This study examines the global burden of osteoarthritis (OA) attributable to high body mass index (BMI) from 1990 to 2021, with projections through 2036, using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. Knee and hip OA, as primary weight-bearing joints, were the focus of this analysis.The study reveals a substantial global increase in OA-related years lived with disability (YLDs) due to rising obesity rates, aging populations, and demographic shifts, with significant regional disparities linked to socioeconomic development levels. Knee OA experienced the most pronounced increase, particularly in low-and middle-SDI regions, while hip OA burdens were higher in high-SDI regions. A Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model was employed to project future trends, indicating continued growth in OA burdens. Frontier Analysis highlighted gaps between current and ideal burdens, suggesting opportunities for improved health management. The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted obesity prevention, OA management, and resource allocation, particularly in rapidly developing and low-SDI regions. These insights provide a foundation for precision public health strategies to address the escalating burden of high BMI-related OA.
Keywords: Osteoarthritis, high body mass index, Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis, Global burden of disease, health inequalities
Received: 30 Mar 2025; Accepted: 02 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Wang, Zhao and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yingang Zhang, Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
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