Findings of a new study suggest that overweight and obese patients may not be able to achieve temporary recovery in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA)
Scientists have time and again emphasised on the drawbacks of being obese or overweight. Now a new study shows that overweight and obese patients may not be able to achieve temporary recovery in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA).
Obesity has over the years become the number one cause for many health problems worldwide and accounts for more than 10 percent deaths worldwide. Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease, is also on the rise. According to the study that was presented June 14 at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, it affects one in a hundred people globally.
Rheumatoid arthritis is known to cause stiffness, pain, progressive joint destruction and deformity, and reduces physical function, quality of life, workability and life expectancy. The report suggests that 50 percent of patients affected by this disorder become incapable of holding a full time job within ten years of the onset of the disorder.
"Obesity and rheumatoid arthritis are both on the rise, with devastating effects on individuals and society as a whole. These data reinforce the link between obesity and inflammation, and establish that BMI is one of the few modifiable variables influencing the major outcomes in RA," said Elisa Gremese from the Institute of Rheumatology and Affine Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome. "There is an urgent need to address the issues of overweight and obesity to improve patients' chance of successful remission."
For the study 346 ERA patients who had been showing the disorder symptoms for the last 12 months were treated to achieve remission. They were categorised into three groups - normal weight, overweight and obese. The treatment included follow-up visits, treatment with methotrexate up to 25mg/week+steroids, and combination with a TNF blocker.
The findings revealed that overweight and obese patients achieved a lower level of temporary recovery than normal weight patients. Researchers stated that obese and overweight ERA patients required 2.4 times more anti-TNF therapy throughout the study than normal weight participants without achieving similar remission outcomes.
