In a cross-sectional study of 351 adults with type 2 diabetes, symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with clinically meaningful pain was associated with poorer glycemic control. Patients with knee osteoarthritis and pain severity of at least 20 on a 0–100 scale had approximately 40% lower odds of achieving a hemoglobin A1c target of 7.0% or less after adjustment for key confounders. Knee osteoarthritis overall was not independently associated with glycemic control, highlighting pain severity as the clinically relevant factor.

Source: Arthritis Care & Research