Arthritis pain and stiffness set in when the cartilage — the rubbery cushion in the joints that absorbs shock for the bones and allows them to glide smoothly when we move — wears away. When there isn’t enough cartilage left in the joint to protect the bones from damaging each other, we feel it. And while over 46 million Americans are living with arthritis, about 61 percent of them, or 28 million, are women.
Why are women more commonly affected by arthritis? One reason may be the physical differences between the sexes — for example, women have less knee cartilage than men. It's no wonder that according to a recent report, knee replacement surgeries more than tripled in women between ages 45 and 64 over the past decade. Women are also at greater risk for the autoimmune condition rheumatoid arthritis than men, which experts think may be due to hormonal differences, among other factors. Finally, women may also experience a greater emotional burden from arthritis than men. A 2011 survey conducted by the supplement manufacturer Flexicin International found that 78 percent of women with arthritis feel that they receive very little support from family and friends, compared with 66 percent of men.
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