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In a study of adults with rheumatoid arthritis, severely obese patients experienced rapidly progressing disability than patients who were overweight. To examine the effects of obesity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis over time, Joshua Baker, MD, MSCE, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues examined information on 23,323 patients with rheumatoid arthritis from the National Data Bank of the Rheumatic Diseases and 1697 from the Veterans Affairs RA registry.
Severe obesity was associated with more rapid progression of disability, patients who lost weight tended to become disabled more quickly, especially in those who were already thin. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and obesity would benefit from intentional weight loss through a comprehensive management strategy; however, when we see that someone is losing weight without trying, it’s a poor prognostic sign, especially if they are already thin.
The findings are especially relevant when considering the rising rates of obesity in recent years, unintentional weight loss shows that patient may become frail and at risk of developing new disability. As new therapies and approaches to weight loss become available, it will promote their use in patients with arthritis, to prevent disability over the long-term.
haleplushearty.org