Moderate link seen between obesity and risk for rheumatoid arthritis

Obesity was associated with a moderately increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to recently presented data.

Researchers identified 557 patients who developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with onset of symptoms between 1989 and 2013 from the Västerbotten Interventional Program (VIP) and/or the WHO project, Multinational MONItoring of Trends and Determinants of CArdiovascular Disease (MONICA). The mean patient age of onset was 58 years and patients were followed for a mean of 6.2 years prior to onset. Women comprised 68% of the cohort. A control group consisted of 1,671 individuals randomly matched for age, sex, cohort, inclusion year and rural vs. urban lifestyle. Adjustable variables collected included BMI, smoking status and educational level.

Obesity, defined as BMI of 30 or above, was associated with an OR of 1.5 compared to patients with normal weight, or BMI between 18.5 and 25 regardless of sex. When stratified by age, the risk for RA was observed in the quartile of patients with disease onset at 50 years of age or earlier. The OR for this group was 1.9 compared to control individuals with normal weight. - by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Ljung L, et al. Paper #1598. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Nov. 7-11, 2015; San Francisco.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.