Currently, osteoarthritis afflicts almost 1 out of 10 (9.6%) men and 2 out of 20 (18%) women aged 60 years and older (Woolf & Pfleger, 2003). As a result of increases in longevity, osteoarthritis is projected to become the fourth leading cause of disability by the year 2020 (Woolf & Pfleger, 2003). According to Brooks (2003), "Genetic factors determining the biochemical constituents of bone and cartilage may place individuals at an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Given the number of cell types in cartilage and bone, there is the potential for many genes to contribute to the predisposition to osteoarthritis" (p. 689). Genetic factors can also help protect people from being afflicted with osteoarthritis. For instance, Barazesh (2009) advises that, "Genes that make bones grow longer can form extra cartilage in joints, protecting them from the ravages of osteoarthritis" (p. 23).

By contrast, rheumatoid arthritis affects between 0.3-1.0% of the general...
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