Joint Replacement Runs Low Among Male Smokers, Study Says

Smoking is considered to be a bad habit by most of us due to its unhealthy effects to the human body. However, according to a study that has been published online in Arthritis & Rheumatism, male smokers were less likely to go through a total knee or hip replacement implant operation than those who never smoked.

Study author George Mnatzaganian, a PhD student from the University of Adelaide in Australia, said in one of their press statements that “Our study is the first to demonstrate a strong inverse correlation between smoking duration and risk of total joint replacement. The independent inverse associations of smoking with risk of total joint replacement were evident also after adjusting for major confounders and after accounting for the competing mortality risk in this elderly cohort of men.”

One of the reasons for which a man or woman may undergo a joint replacement operation is because of osteoarthritis. It is the most known type of arthritis. Almost 27 million Americans are afflicted with this degenerative condition.

Osteoarthritis is also called the wear-and-tear disease as it happens when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down in the long run causing pain and stiffness on the joints.

A joint replacement operation is the last resort of osteoarthritis patients when they cannot handle the pain anymore. It is an elective surgical procedure, although doctors may suggest it but in the end it is the decision of the patient that matters.

In the Health In Men Study (HIMS), Mnatzaganian and his team were able to gather medical records for 11, 388 men, and they found out that 857 of them had joint replacement surgery upon their primary assessment.

During the evaluation of the participants, they were classified by age groups. There were three age groups – 65 to 69 years old, 70 to 74 years old, and 75 years and above. Among them, 41 percent had total hip replacement while 59 percent experienced total knee replacement.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, almost 285,000 total hip replacements are done every year in the United States, on the other hand, 600,000 knee replacements are performed yearly as well. Statistics show that more and more osteoarthritis patients succumbed to replacement surgery.

Based on the results of the study, overweight or obese patients increased their chance to go through a joint replacement. However, those who have been smoking for almost 23 years are less likely to undergo a joint replacement. In addition, those who smoked for nearly 48 years were 51 percent unlikely to have a joint replacement operation than non-smokers.

Although joint replacement operation is considered to be the most successful orthopedic procedure, complications still exist such as inflammation, pain, and metallosis. Know more about these complications and other news about joint replacement here, http://www.stryker-hip-replacement-recall.com/

Sources:
sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110708084002.htm
osteoarthritis.about.com/b/2011/07/09/male-smokers-have-lower-risk-of-joint-replacement-than-non-smokers.htm

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Essential in Osteoarthritis Management, Studies Show

Growing old remains something that most of us are looking forward to in a way. To experience life in peace and tranquility and able to do what we want in our own time without the sense of urgency. However, several changes do happen, many of which are related with pain and discomfort, and osteoarthritis is no exemption. But there are studies claiming that with omega-3 fatty acids, we may be able to stave off osteoarthritis symptoms. This might be the answer for delaying joint replacement surgery and usage of hip replacements.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting the lives of about 12 percent of the human population, according to federal government statistics. In fact, one person out of nine suffers from this condition. It most frequently attacks women above the age of 45, but may happen to anyone. Osteoarthritis is the continuous wearing away of the cartilage in the joints,which occurs over a course of many years. In its advance stages, the bones next to to the joints, the capsules, membranes, and the muscles altogether go through changes. As the amount of cartilage is downsized, the bones in the joint begin to rub each other during joint movements, leading to serious pain and slowing down the movement up to the point when it is stuck.

Based on a recent animal study, a diet supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids decreases the bulk of the symptoms of diseases among guinea pigs likely to develop osteoarthritis. This included both cartilage and sub-chondral bone changes, and the head of the research team noticed that the evidence was strong in showing that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent the disease and also slow its development in those already diagnosed.

Moreover, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition conducted a study in 2007 about krill oil’s (one of the three types of animal-based omega-3 fat) ability to lessen inflammation. Researchers discovered that 300 mg krill oil every day considerably decreased the inflammation, pain, stiffness and functional impairment after just a week’s use, and even more after two weeks.

Omega-3 fatty acids play a significant role in inflammation. They have these compounds called resolvins and protectins, which aid in suppressing inflammation before it can further harm your tissues. Quite a few studies have been published on the outstanding efficacy of krill oil in fighting inflammation-related conditions.

These fatty acids are commonly found in flax seed, soybeans, cloves, sardines, mustard, fish oil, tofu, shrimp, scallops, winter squash, and walnuts among others. Omega-3 is definitely a must to incorporate in the diet of most people as the benefits are just too great.

This will truly help millions in delaying the onset of their osteoarthritis and avoid joint replacements and the complications associated with it such as pain, inflammation, and metallosis. If you want to know more about joint replacements and its complications,click here.

Sources:
umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm
mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/29/omega-3-radically-improve-arthritis.aspx

What You Need-to-Know About Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant

For quite some time now, the orthopedic device production has come under heavy evaluation from both physicians and governing authorities over the manufacture of hip implants utilizing a design in which in metal parts rub against metal parts.

The study about the implants led to the discovery that chromium and cobalt ions from this kind of synthetic hip may seep into the adjacent tissue to impair muscle and bone, and set out to the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and kidneys, possibly causing harm. The research workers were also anxious the ions may affect one’s chromosomes, motivating genetic modifications.

Stryker Orthopaedics in their own free will, recalled two brands of its hip implant devices used in conjunction with unnatural hips in hip replacement surgeries, according to the website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

There have been at least 45 adverse event reports from patients who say the devices caused pain and/or tissue swelling, and metal toxicity.

The examiners say makers of metal-on-metal hip implants modify the design of the hips over the years to improve flexibility, but those changes may be accountable for the discharge of high levels of toxins into the body.

Michigan-based Stryker, which runs its biotech division in Hopkinton, Mass., recalled Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck stems on July 2012 from the market, and cease global distribution. The company said the incidence of complications is extremely low, but people with these implants should make sure their primary care doctor knows they have one.

“While modular-neck stems provide surgeons with an option to correct certain aspects of a patient’s anatomy and hip biomechanics, given the potential risks associated with fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction, Stryker Orthopaedics decided to take this voluntary action,” Stryker Vice President and General Manager of Hip Reconstruction Stuart Simpson said in a statement.

Simpson said the company would work with the medical community to better understand the complications with the devices as the company continues to assess the adverse event data. This includes at least 45 reports of injuries, using the Rejuvenate modular-neck stem, since the beginning of 2012, according to the FDA.

Recipients of metal-on-metal hip implants who are not suffering any of the side effects should still submit themselves to regular check-ups to their doctors.

If you are suffering a deteriorating effect three months or more after the hip replacement surgery, go to your surgeon right away for medical assistance.

Source:

cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57387520-10391704/metals-from-hip-replacements-present-toxic-risk-for-millions-investigation-warns/
medicalnewstoday.com/releases/226573.php