Healthcare utilisation and mortality in people with osteoarthritis in the UK: findings from a national primary care database

Swain et al. gratefully clarified that osteoarthritis is related to complex health outcomes such as hospital admission and mortality.¹ This study is the first to clarify the relationship between osteoarthritis and mortality within ten years. This study can open up further discussion about intervention for osteoarthritis in healthcare institutions and communities. Osteoarthritis can be considered one of the chronic diseases caused by aging and lifestyles. Its development can be inevitable. However, Such OA patients' and social perceptions about osteoarthritis should be revised because the effect of OA can cause higher mortality.

One of the solid prejudices against osteoarthritis can be formed by ageism and self-ageism.² Osteoarthritis is prevalent among older patients, who are getting used to their pain and modifying their lifestyles.³ Older people consider and are considered that their symptoms, such as osteoarthritis, are inevitable and do not require intensive treatments, causing ageism and self-ageism. However, Swain et al. could clarify critical facts driving the intensive interventions for the prevention and progression of osteoarthritis.¹ The initial steps for effective intervention regarding osteoarthritis are continual approaches to ageism and self-ageism about osteoarthritis based on these results.

References
1. Swain S, Coupland C, Sarmanova A, et al. Healthcare utilisation and mortality in people with osteoarthritis in the UK: findings from a national primary care database. Br J Gen Pract 2023. DOI: 10.3399/BJGP.2022.0419.
2. Ohta R. Self-ageism among older rural people. Br J Gen Pract 2023;73(728):110. (In eng). DOI: 10.3399/bjgp23X732129.
3. Wood G, Neilson J, Cottrell E, Hoole SP. Osteoarthritis in people over 16: diagnosis and management-updated summary of NICE guidance. BMJ 2023;380:24. (In eng). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.p24.