In conversation with Lidia Nigrelli, Research Assistant, Osteoarthritis Research Group working within the Centre for Inflammatory Disease
Lidia Nigrelli
What is your research project about and what stage are you at?
Hand osteoarthritis is a condition which can cause painful, swollen and stiff joints in the hands, it can affect the finger joints and thumb joints. Having hand osteoarthritis can make it harder for individuals to carry out everyday tasks. Hand osteoarthritis affects around 2 million people in the UK but there are currently no drugs that slow the progression of the disease or that target pain. Women are at a higher risk for developing hand osteoarthritis than men, and previous work has shown that factors like the menopause may play a role in how hand osteoarthritis develops in women.