It’s not fun dealing with the aches and pains of arthritis. This “wear and tear” on joints like the hips and the knees often comes with aging. But people who have this type of joint pain may now have a new concern—a higher risk of dying from heart disease.
A new study tracked the health of 469,177 people ages 45 to 84 in Sweden. After 11 years, people with knee or hip arthritis were almost 20% more likely to die from heart disease or heart failure. The longer a person had arthritis, the greater the risk of a heart-related death.
Other research has also found a connection between painful joints and heart disease, including a Canadian study that followed almost 50,000 people for 13 years. It found that having arthritis increased the risk of being hospitalized for heart disease 17% in women ages 65 and older and 15 percent in men in the same age range. Women younger than age 65 with arthritis were 26 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart disease.
What could stiff, achy joints have to do with your heart?
If your hips and knees are hurting, you might not feel much like exercising. And being a couch potato can cause you to put on weight. Too much rest and extra weight put stress on your heart. Plus the inflammation that triggers pain in the joints may also lead to inflammation and blood clots that can block blood flow to the heart muscle.
You can help prevent the problem by taking care of your joints. With your doctor’s help, create an exercise program that doesn’t stress your joints, such as swimming. If you are overweight, dropping extra pounds can help take the pressure off the joints, decrease inflammation, and lower your heart disease risk at the same time.
If joint pain and stiffness are moderate to severe, talk to your doctor about surgery. Research involving 2200 people with hip or knee arthritis showed that those who had surgery to replace the painful joint lowered the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 12%.
Eating foods that lower the inflammation in your body and joints can help lower pain and your risk for heart disease. Some of the best foods to lower inflammation are leafy greens like spinach and collards, berries and cherries, nuts, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines, olive oil, and tomatoes. Find additional inflammation-fighting foods here.
Even better, try to eat a diet that lowers inflammation overall, such as the Mediterranean diet and similar food plans. These plans usually have lots of plant foods—fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. They call for low-fat dairy products, lean meats like fish and poultry, and just a little red meat and salt, as well as very low amounts of sugar. And the more unprocessed foods you eat, the better.
Taking these steps will make you feel better and improve the health of your joints and your heart!