Researchers from LivHOME, one of the nation’s largest professionally led at-home senior care companies, matched 153 older adults who suffered from severe arthritis to another 153 adults of the same age who did not have arthritis. They followed the two cohorts for seven years and were surprised at the results.
During the seven years they recorded 111 incidents of cardiovascular attacks including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, by-pass surgery and angioplasty. Those study participants who had had a joint replaced were found to have a 40% less chance of having a cardiovascular attack. Those who had a joint replacement and had at least one risk of cardiovascular complication benefited from their joint replacement when researchers found that there was a 29% decrease in risk for a cardiovascular complication.
The investigators explained their findings by the change that took place in the individuals’ activity levels following a joint replacement. The pain from arthritis kept many from exercising. Those who got their joints replaced “got the feeling of rejuvenation, ” according to the authors. The getting of a joint replacement late in life “allows older adults to get the proper amount of exercise to reduce their risk of a heart attack, stroke, or any other cardiovascular complication, ” they wrote.
