PhD defence I.A. (Ingrid) Szilagyi

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

Background: Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition that causes pain and limitations. There is no treatment yet that can stop the disease. Some risk factors seem to act differently in women compared to men, but this is not yet clear. This thesis examines whether risk factors and blood signs of the disease differ between women and men, and looks for blood proteins that indicate how severe osteoarthritis is and whether it will get worse.
Methods and main approach: Most studies in this thesis use data from the Rotterdam Study, a large population study of people aged 45 and over. First, a review of previously published studies on sex differences in knee osteoarthritis was done. Then longer‑term analyses were carried out to see which factors are linked to developing or worsening osteoarthritis, with separate analyses for women and men. The work also looked at the role of overweight and related health problems, the testosterone hormone, and dozens of proteins (biomarkers) in the blood.
Key findings and implications: The studies suggest some risks are more common or stronger in women than in men, and vice versa. For example, excess weight was more important for developing knee osteoarthritis in women. Certain blood changes are linked to severity and progression of osteoarthritis; one protein (CRTAC1) stood out as most promising. These insights may help better predict who is at risk and support targeted prevention, but they need confirmation in other populations.