283 THE PRESENCE OF TOTAL KNEE OR HIP REPLACEMENTS DUE TO OA STRENGTHENS THE POSITIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HAND OA AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN FEMALES: THE AGES-REYKJAVIK STUDY

Abstract Objective— This study examines the relationship between total knee replacements (TKR),totalhip replacements (THR) or replacements of either joint (TJR) due to osteoarthritis (OA) andatherosclerosis in a large population-based study. Methods— The participants were 2195 males and 2975 females, mean age 76±6 years. The OAdata were analysed in relation to measures of atherosclerosis, including carotid artery intima mediathickness and plaque severity (ultrasound), coronary and aortic calcifications (CT), cerebral whitematter lesions (MRI) and history of previous cardiac and cerebral events. Corresponding Author: Professor Helgi Jonsson, Landspitalinn University Hospital, IS-108 Fossvogur, Reykjavik Iceland.helgi@hi.is .Licence to BMJ Publishing Group Limited (“BMJ Group”) for Publication: The Corresponding Author has the right to grant on behalfof all authors and does grant on behalf of all authors, an exclusive licence (or non exclusive for government employees) on aworldwide basis to the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd to permit this article (if accepted) to be published in ARD and any other BMJPGLproducts and sublicences such use and exploit all subsidiary rights, as set out in our licence