Individuals suffering from joint pain or osteoarthritis also commonly suffer from being overweight, from elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension (high blood pressure), and Insulin Resistance - all factors which sharply increase the risk of heart disease.

The development of osteoarthritis may be partly related to altered blood vessel function, similar to the factors that are linked to heart disease.  Doctors writing in the journal Rheumatology described a scenario in which blood vessel changes may cause less blood to flow to the bone that lies beneath the cartilage in our joints.  Over time, the bone and the cartilage are deprived of blood, nutrients, and oxygen, which cause the entire tissue to degenerate.  One of the factors that may influence altered blood vessel function is elevated cholesterol.

[Findlay, DM. Vascular pathology and osteoarthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007 Dec;46(12):1763-8.]

In one study, there was a strong association between high serum cholesterol level and both knee and generalized OA.  Another study showed that high serum cholesterol levels were independently associated with generalized osteoarthritis. This association was almost exclusively due to people with knee OA.

[Al-Arfaj AS. Radiographic osteoarthritis and serum cholesterol. Saudi Med J. 2003 Jul;24(7):745-7.]

[Stürmer T, Sun Y, Sauerland S, et al. Serum cholesterol and osteoarthritis. The baseline examination of the Ulm Osteoarthritis Study. J Rheumatol. 1998;25(9):1827-32.]

Cholesterol most certainly does not act alone in contributing to osteoarthritis. It is believed to act with a long list of other factors, especially those that affect blood vessels and circulation. 

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a broad term that describes any disorder that can impact the functioning of the heart muscle itself or the cardiovascular system. Conditions that contribute to heart disease include hypertension, arteriosclerosis (the build-up of calcium deposits on the artery wall) and atherosclerosis (the build-up of fatty deposits on the artery wall).

The causes of heart disease include: elevated LDL "bad" cholesterol, low HDL "good" cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides (substances that store fat for energy and are carried throughout the blood stream to the tissues). Other causes are obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, stress, cigarette smoking and lack of physical activity.

Another factor in Cardiovascular Disease may be the role of inflammation, which is part of the body's immune system. Inflammation triggers a defense response to harmful stimuli or injury by sending specialized blood cells to damaged areas where they attack "invaders" like the renegade molecules called "free radicals" and clean up dead and dying cells.

One circumstance of inflammation related to cardiovascular disease is pre-diabetes. In this case, the "invader" is thought to be excess levels of insulin, which can be caused by the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance.

Inflammation can take an external form like the reddened, tender skin which draws attention to a splinter in your finger. Or it can be an unseen, internal process in response to something harmful like high blood pressure.

To combat internal harm, inflammation produces C-reactive protein (CRP), which, unfortunately, can damage the arteries by helping to form plaque while attempting to tackle a long-term disorder like high LDL cholesterol levels - often an accompanying symptom of Pre-Diabetes.

Plaque is a substance that attaches itself to artery walls, damaging those walls and seriously impairing blood flow, which can leading to a heart attack or stroke. A blood test measures CRP levels and the higher that level is, the more at risk you are from Cardiovascular Disease. There's contradictory evidence about whether CRP levels and Insulin Resistance are closely linked.

Research about inflammation is often cutting edge material that still needs ample verification. But scientists are gathering data that inflammation precedes and may predict reversible Pre-Diabetes, which, if left unchecked, can lead to the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.

This latter condition can only be managed for the rest of a Diabetic's life in the vast majority of cases and may require daily injections of insulin. Type 2 Diabetes, itself, is a severely increased risk factor for blindness, heart and kidney disease and the need for amputation.

Previous research had already linked inflammation to heart disease and obesity, which are both common in people with Pre-Diabetes.

To learn more, click on Inflammation, Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes