Research question:
Does osteoarthritis increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease or major metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, and does osteoarthritis treatment modify this risk?
Aims and objectives:
This study aims to determine whether individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) have an elevated risk of subsequently developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) or metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes.
The specific objectives are:
To quantify and compare the incidence rates of PD and major metabolic disorders between participants with OA and those without OA.
To evaluate whether the treatment of OA, such as joint replacement or long-term anti-inflammatory medication use, alters the risk of developing these subsequent conditions.
To identify demographic and clinical factors that may confound or mediate the association between OA and these diseases.
Scientific rationale:
Osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disease associated with chronic systemic inflammation and altered metabolic regulation. Recent evidence suggests that inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor may play a role not only in OA progression but also in neurodegenerative and metabolic pathways. Parkinson’s disease and metabolic disorders share overlapping inflammatory and oxidative stress mechanisms, implying a possible biological link with OA.
Using the UK Biobank cohort, which integrates baseline assessments with linked hospital inpatient, primary care, and death registry records, we will identify OA diagnoses, treatment histories, and subsequent incident cases of PD and metabolic disorders. Survival analysis and multivariable regression models will be used to estimate temporal associations and adjust for confounders such as age, sex, BMI, and comorbidities.