CHANGE THE HIP, IMPROVE THE HEART (Orthopedics This Week)
Does having a total hip or knee replacement benefit a patient’s heart? It may, according to researchers at the University of Toronto who matched 153 patients who had a joint replacement with 153 who did not. The subjects all had similar health profiles in terms of age, weight, smoking status and the severity of their arthritis. For seven years, the researchers followed both groups to record their rate of serious cardiac events, including heart attacks, heart failures and strokes.
The study author, Bheeshma Ravi, M.D., resident physician in the division of orthopedic surgery at the University of Toronto, reported, “Our study suggested that in persons with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of hip or knee, joint replacement was associated with a greater than 40% reduction in the risk for serious cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.” Ravi found that with knee replacements there was a 54% reduction in heart risk. Hip replacements had a 39% reduction.
The researchers speculate on what caused the reduction in risk. Patients who had the joint replacements may have increased their physical activity, which would have...
