Patients with osteoarthritis have more than double the risk of stroke and are more prone to many other comorbidities than people without the condition, a meta-analysis shows.

In a study of comorbidities in osteoarthritis (OA), researchers found that 67% of people with the condition had at least one other chronic ailment and were 21% more likely than those with no OA to have any comorbidity.

The systematic review, which has been conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham, UK, is believed to be the first to investigate an extensive list of comorbidities in OA, reporting on risks for 11 conditions.

It includes 42 studies from 16 countries, including Australia, with the mean age of participants ranging from 51-76.