How do race and gender affect my risk for osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is common among men and women who are age 65 and older, regardless of race. However, studies demonstrate that although osteoarthritis affects both men and women fairly equally between ages 45 and 55, after age 55 it is more common in women.
Gender also plays a role in determining which joint will be affected by osteoarthritis. On average, more women than men have osteoarthritis in the joints of their fingers, for instance.