African Americans are at greater risk of osteoarthritis, study finds

African Americans have higher rates of osteoarthritis of the knees, hip and spine, according to a new study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. The findings suggest these individuals may have a greater need for a prescription to buy Celebrex.

A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina analyzed health data collected from a group of adults over the age of 45. The results showed that African American participants were 77 percent more likely to have osteoarthritis of the knee and spine, compared to Caucasians.

However, African Americans were significantly less likely to have osteoarthritis of the hands. Still, the researchers said their findings indicate that more needs to be done to figure out how to address high rates of the condition.

"Our findings suggest a substantial health burden of large-joint osteoarthritis, particularly hip and spine, among African Americans and further studies that address this concern are warranted," said lead researcher Amanda Nelson.

Unless more is done to address the problem, the National Institute of Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases estimates that 67 million individuals could suffer from osteoarthritis by 2030.