Average age of degenerative joint disease patients declines (China Post)
The average age of degenerative joint disease patients has been dropping as the popularity of jogging and mountain climbing has risen in recent years, an orthopedist recently pointed out.
Yu Jia-wei (游家偉), an orthopedist at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, estimated that there are around 3.5 million Taiwanese who suffer from the joint disorder also known as osteoarthritis.
Yu said that in the past, degenerative joint disease was usually found in retirees aged around 60-70. In recent years, middle-aged patients have begun to come to hospitals for help. Due to their younger age and longer life expectancy, patients often replace their knees with artificial ones.
Knees have an expiration date and need to be used sparingly, Yu said. The doctor continued by saying that if people start their running habits in their 20s and overuse their knees for 10-20 years, their knees will suffer from severe damage and functional degradation, and that's why health products such as glucosamine have become so popular.
Lu Shao-rui (呂紹睿), the chairman of Taichung Tzu Chi Health Promotion Center of the Knee, indicated that workers ...
