Table 3.

Potential risk factors for the progression of finger interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis, assessed using a best evidence synthesis

Consistent evidence for a risk factor				Consistent evidence for not being a risk factor				Mixed evidence
Strong evidence	Moderate evidence	Limited evidence with low risk of bias	Limited evidence	Strong evidence	Moderate evidence	Limited evidence with low risk of bias	Limited evidence
Using all definitions of IPJ osteoarthritis progression
			Diabetes/impaired fasting glucose [38]				Higher alcohol intake [37, 39]	Older age in men [33–35, 39]a
			Larger epiphyseal index in females [40]				Anthropometric features [39]	Older age in women [39]a
			Larger epiphyseal index in males [40]				Atherosclerosis [36]
							Larger BMI—at age 25 years [37]
							Larger BMI—current [37, 38]
							Dyslipidaemia [38]
							Familial relationship [39]
							Gender (female) [39]
							Gender (male) [39]
							Hypertension [38]
							Higher number of metabolic factors [38]
							Smoking [37, 39]
							Larger waist circumference [37]
In DIPJs only
			Older age in women [39]				Higher alcohol intake [39]	Gender (female) [39]
							Anthropometric features [39]	Older age in men [34, 39]
							Atherosclerosis [36]
							Familial relationship [39]
							Gender (male) [39]
In PIPJs only
			Larger epiphyseal index in females [40]				Higher alcohol intake [39]	Older age in men [33–35, 39]a
			Larger epiphyseal index in males [40]				Anthropometric features [39]	Older age in women [39]
							Atherosclerosis [36]
							Familial relationship [39]
							Gender (female) [39]
							Gender (male) [39]
							Smoking [39]

BMI body mass index, DIPJ distal interphalangeal joints, IPJ interphalangeal joint, PIPJ proximal interphalangeal joints

^aConflicting results within one study