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Simple Genetic Test For Assessing Osteoarthritis Risk?

British scientists are striving to unearth the genetic causes of arthritis by analyzing the DNA of 14,000 volunteers. They are hopeful their research will eventually lead to a simple test which will gauge your risk of developing severe forms of osteoarthritis and identify novel treatments that do not require joint replacement surgery - there are 120,000 knee or hip joint replacements each year in the UK.

In the UK alone over two million elderly people suffer from osteoarthritis. It is the most common type of arthritis - causing pain and stiffness as the cartilage at the ends of bones wears away. Joints can be affected, but involvement of the knee and hip is the main cause of mobility problems in the elderly population.

Currently there is no medication which can stem the progression of the disease. The only real treatment, apart from replacement surgery, is to take painkillers which bring with them some undesirable side-effects.

As life expectancy continues to grow, osteoarthritis is expected to become more prevalent in most of the industrial world, and also the developing world.

The two-year project, called arcOGEN, will compare DNA samples of 8,000 osteoarthritis patients with samples from 6,000 healthy volunteers - eight centers throughout the UK and 30 geneticists will take part. They will scan the entire genome looking for genetic mutations that may be more common among osteoarthritis patients.

ArcOGEN's aim is to identify the genetic changes, known as polymorphisms, that raise the risk of people developing osteoarthritis.

Hopefully, when the scientists have identified the genes, a test can then be created which detects those (people) who are most likely to develop the severe form of the condition. This test would not be expected to cost more than about 10 pounds ($20). Such a test would be useful for doctors and patients, as it would help them decide on treatment. The person who is identified as high risk could be helped with exercise programs and advice on how to lose weight and have a healthy diet.

Osteoarthritis is a major genetic disease - it is much more heritable than the majority of other diseases, such as breast cancer.

Arthritis Research Campaign, a UK charity, will be funding the study with ?.2 million ($4.4 million) - the largest single grant ever awarded by the medical research charity.

Osteoarthritis was wrongly though of as an unavoidable consequence of getting old. However, it is a disease in its own right. Why some people develop the disorder and others don't is still unclear.