Scientists have determined in a new investigation that high levels of physical activity may be some of the triggers for the unforgiving disease that is arthritis. The condition manifests itself by deforming the joints inside the body, and causing excruciating pain in the sufferers. At this point, there is very little that Science can do to cure the people who have it, e! Science News reports. Details of the new research were made available to experts during the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), held in Chicago.

“Our data suggest that people with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities and, thus, at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis,” Christoph Stehling, MD, explains. The expert holds a joint appointment as a University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging research fellow, and a University of Muenster Department of Clinical Radiology radiology resident. The findings, he says, are especially true for middle-aged men and women.

“The prevalence of the knee abnormalities increased with the level of physical activity. In addition, cartilage defects diagnosed in active people were more severe. This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high-impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health. Conversely, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, may protect diseased cartilage and prevent healthy cartilage from developing disease,” Stehling reveals.

The German scientist adds that more comparative studies to evaluate the influence of low-impact versus high-impact physical activity on a person's chances of developing osteoarthritis should be undertaken. He believes that such research has the potential to establish a set of recommendations that could see less people developing arthritis. The condition significantly reduces patients' quality of life, and, in serious cases, confines them to a bed or wheel chair, causing massive deformities in limb joints.