Exercise Increases Risk of Osteoarthritis in the Elderly

Boston (DbTechNo) - Results of a new study show that too much exercise once a person reaches middle age can increase their risk of developing arthritis.

Arthritis is the swelling of the joints and can be very painful making it hard for people to get around, but there are drugs on the market to help reduce symptoms.

The researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, focused on men and women over 50 who exercised often, and their associated risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee.

For the study, the researchers focused on 136 healthy women and 100 healthy men, all healthy and between 45 and 55 years old.

Those who reported exercising on a regular basis, also reported more symptoms associated with osteoarthritis than those who exercised less.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis diagnosed in middle aged people, effecting up to 27 million Americans.