Study of marathoners shows running not linked to knee or hip arthritis

BOSTON - There is some good news for all the runners out there. You don't have to stop running to spare your knees.

It's a widely held belief that running puts wear and tear on the legs, leading to arthritis down the road. 

But a new study from the University of California, San Francisco looked at more than 3,800 marathoners and found running itself was not linked to the development of knee or hip arthritis.

They found that runners and non-runners share the same risk factors for arthritis such as getting older, having a family history, previous knee or hip injuries or previous surgeries, and a higher BMI, in other words being overweight. 

And while running can make matters worse for people who already have arthritis in their knees and hips, prevention of arthritis is not a reason to stop pounding the pavement. 

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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