How to reduce your risk

Excess weight is still one of the biggest risk factors for OA as it puts extra stress on your joints, which can speed up the deterioration of joint cartilage. Overweight and obese people are at higher risk of developing the condition and at an earlier age.

The latest research suggests that diabetes, which affects the body’s ability to regulate glucose (blood sugar), may be a significant risk factor for OA. That’s because high glucose levels speed the formation of certain molecules that make cartilage stiffer and more sensitive to excessive use and joint stress.

Diabetes can also trigger inflammation throughout the whole body, which has been linked to cartilage damage.

This relatively new discovery of a link between diabetes and joint damage helps explain why more than half of the people diagnosed with diabetes also have arthritis.

A handful of studies have found higher rates of OA in people with low blood levels of this important bone-strengthening nutrient.

Your body makes most of the vitamin D it needs in response to sunlight.

You can get some extra vitamin D in your diet by eating oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, but most people in the UK are low in this nutrient so the