Roughly 228 thousand Manitobans have some type of arthritis according to Arthritis Research Canada.  The organization’s Scientific Director Dr. Diane Lacaille explains family history can play a role in a person developing arthritis but there are ways people can reduce their risk of being diagnosed with the joint disorder.  She says the big one is smoking as we know people who smoke are at increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and some of the other inflammatory arthritis as well.  She adds the other one is periodontal disease and that’s gum disease as some of the bacteria that are responsible for periodontal disease seem to also be involved in rheumatoid arthritis.  She notes the other one is around maintaining a healthy body weight as this is important definitely for osteoarthritis because more weight puts more stress on the joints and when people lose weight it has been shown to reduce the progression of osteoarthritis over time.

Lacaille adds arthritis affects six million Canadians of all ages and women are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.