Serum Lipid Levels and Risk Of Hand Osteoarthritis: The Chingford Prospective Cohort Study

The development of hand osteoarthritis (HOA) could be linked to hyperlipidaemia. No longitudinal studies have addressed the relationship between serum lipid profile and HOA. The study aim was to determine the association between serum lipid profile and the incidence of radiographic hand osteoarthritis (RHOA). All women in a prospective population-based cohort from the Chingford study with available baseline lipid measurements and without RHOA on a baseline were included. Study outcome was the incidence of RHOA in year 11 of follow-up. Serum lipid profile variables were analysed as continuous variables and categorised into quartiles. The association between serum lipid profile and RHOA was modeled using multivariable logistic regression. Overall RHOA incidence was 51.6% (45.7–57.4%). An inverse association between HDL cholesterol levels and the incidence of RHOA was observed by quartile: OR of 0.36 [95%CI 0.17–0.75], 0.52 [95%CI 0.26–1.06], and 0.48 [95%CI 0.22–1.03]. Triglycerides levels showed a significant trend. No relationship was found with total or LDL cholesterol. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol appear to protect against RHOA after 11 years of follow-up. More research is needed to elucidate HOA risk factors, the mechanisms related to the lipid pathway, and the effects of lipid-lowering agents on reducing the incidence of OA.