Symptoms of osteoarthritis could be mitigated through weight loss

Researchers found a link between osteoarthritic symptoms and obesity, and suggested that patients who lose weight may significantly alleviate those symptoms, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

“There’s a clear link between obesity and osteoarthritis, and the link is both from biomechanical factors as well as systemic factors. The systemic component appears to be significant,” Ryan C. Koonce, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Skagit Regional Clinics in Mount Vernon, Wash., stated in a press release.

Koonce and colleagues found that greater weight and load bearing on a joint can cause increased wear, and significant amounts of white adipose tissue, or tissue that can cause inflammation, is commonly found in obese adults, according to the release. Obesity also can be linked to hypertension, insulin resistance and various other metabolic conditions, as well as being an independent risk factor for pain, they noted.

The researchers predicted in the study that, if obesity were removed as a risk factor for osteoarthritis, nearly half of osteoarthritis cases in the United States could be avoided. Weight loss can also restore quality of life in patients by reducing pain and restoring function, Koonce and colleagues said.

“It is important that doctors are aware of the different ways that obesity causes arthritis not only for treatment but for prevention of the condition,” Jonathan T. Bravman, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Colorado, stated in a press release. “We are underutilizing weight loss as a primary treatment option for arthritis and joint pain.”

Reference:

Koonce RC. J Acad Orthop Surg. 2013; doi:10.5435/JAAOS-21-03-161.

Disclosure: One of the authors (Bravman) is an unpaid consultant for Stryker.