The study, published in the Journal of Arthritis & Rheumatology, compared 7,743 OA patients with 23,229 non-OA controls. The risk of cardiovascular disease is 23 percent higher in people with OA than in people without OA.

Secondary outcomes assessed in the study were 42% higher in those with OA than those without OA, followed by 17% higher risk of ischemic heart disease and 14% higher risk of stroke.

Researchers have found that approximately 41 percent of people with OA are at risk of cardiovascular disease through their NSAID use. NSAIDs played a significant role in developing the secondary outcomes of the study.

“To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to evaluate the mediating role of NSAID use in the association between osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease in a large population-based sample. Our results suggest that osteoarthritis is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a significant proportion of increased risk of NSAIDs Indicating that it is due to use, ”Ad Aslam Anis, a senior author of yayanam said.