A high body mass index (BMI) is certainly one of the main risk aspects for developing osteoarthritis. But a brand new study suggests that carrying extra weight also makes it more likely that an individual will develop an inflammatory joint condition, akin to rheumatoid arthritis.
The study was published online by the journal May 23, 2023. Arthritis and RheumatologyAround 362,000 adults participated within the UK Biobank, a big biomedical database. Researchers analyzed how participants’ BMI — a calculation of body size that takes into consideration height and weight — related to their likelihood of developing any of 5 joint conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and inflammatory spondylitis (a variety of spinal arthritis). Except for osteoarthritis, most joint diseases are brought on by inflammation.
Participants with a high BMI (those significantly above the “normal” BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9) had higher BMI rates for rheumatoid arthritis (52%), osteoarthritis (49%), psoriatic arthritis (80%), gout (73%) and inflammation (43%) than in the overall population. The study authors concluded that weight control may help reduce the chance of developing joint disease.
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