The early osteoarthritis (OA) phenotype

像许多其他发达国家一样，澳大利亚正在经历一场重大的人口变化，其中包括老年人口的显著增长。从患者的角度和社会的角度来看，研究骨关节炎的潜在决定因素，如本提案中概述的那些对老年人口非常重要。近五分之一的澳大利亚人患有关节炎；事实上，患关节炎的澳大利亚人比其他任何国家的健康状况都要多。从个人角度来看，骨关节炎（OA）引起的疼痛和残疾可能导致老年人丧失独立性和生活质量下降。

Australia like many other developed countries is undergoing a major demographic shift involving significant growth in the aged population. From both a patient perspective and a societal perspective, research into the underlying determinants of osteoarthritis such as those outlined in this proposal are of great importance to the aged population. Nearly one in five Australians has arthritis; indeed more Australians have arthritis than any other national health priority condition. From an individual point-of-view, the pain and disability due to osteoarthritis (OA) can lead to loss of independence and diminished in quality of life for older adults.