When stratified by sex and age, there is a greater age-adjusted prevalence of osteoarthritis in women (23.5%) as compared with men (18.1%).» The discrepancy between males and females in the prevalence of osteoarthritis is likely multifactorial, being related to hormonal, metabolic, structural, and nutritional differences.» Cartilage is lost at a higher rate in women after accounting for confounding variables such as age, body mass index, and bone volume at baseline. » Estrogen replacement therapy diminishes the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and reduces the prevalence of osteoarthritis in animal models and humans.» Much work remains to understand the etiology of the sex gap seen in degenerative joint disease.
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