Lee S, et al. - Using cross-sectional data, researchers assessed the links between prevalent arthritis and systemic inflammation in 2,562 community-dwelling older men (all were 65 or older; Mage=76yrs) in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study. They also examined if these links were mediated by sleep health. These subjects had participated in a sleep ancillary study in 2003-2005. No higher risk of elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) was found in older men with osteoarthritis (OA). Findings revealed a link between OA and poorer sleep health, which was further related to 16% and 12% higher odds of elevated CRP and elevated IL-6, respectively, following controlling for OA. Odds of elevated CRP and IL-6 were higher in older men with rheumatoid arthritis, but the links were not mediated by sleep health. Overall, the risk of systemic inflammation in older men with osteoarthritis may be attenuated by promoting sleep health.