Obesity a Risk Factor for Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

VBCR - April 2013, Volume 2, No 2 - In the Literature

Researchers have sought to discover whether there is a plausible link between obesity and the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with 2 large US studies finding no such evidence and 2 European studies showing significant evidence to suggest
the link.

A recent study investigated the influence of obesity on the development of RA to determine whether obesity is a possible risk factor that could help to explain the annual increase in the inci­dence of RA in the United States since 1995, after a 4-decade de­cline (Crowson CS, et al. Arthritis Care Res [Hoboken]. 2013;65:71-77).

The study included 1626 patients who were evenly split between patients having RA (N = 813) and controls (N = 813), with approximately 30% of each group classified as obese (body mass index of ≥30 kg/m2) at the index date. The patients who were classified as obese were found to have a higher risk of developing RA during the study period (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.53). Furthermore, the investigators found that the incidence of RA rose by an increment of 9.2 per 100,000 among women, and obesity accounted for 52% of this increase (4.8 per 100,000).

The results of this study suggest that obesity is associated with a modest risk for the development of RA, which may account for some of the rise in the prevalence of obesity.

Although the mechanisms by which obesity may put patients at risk for RA are mostly unknown, this study suggests that, in addition to the environmental elements that are known to be risk factors, the association between obesity and chronic inflammation, as well as their influence on the devel­opment of RA, should be further investigated.

Related Items
In the Literature - December 2017
VBCR - December 2017, Vol 6, No 5 published on December 19, 2017 in In the Literature
In the Literature - June 2017
VBCR - June 2017, Vol 6, No 2 published on June 29, 2017 in In the Literature
Response to NSAID Treatment Similar Among Patients with AS and Nonradiographic Axial SpA
VBCR - April 2017, Vol 6, No 1 published on May 3, 2017 in In the Literature
In the Literature - December 2016
VBCR - December 2016, Vol 5, No 6 published on January 5, 2017 in In the Literature
In the Literature - November 2016
VBCN - November 2016 Volume 3, No 3 published on November 22, 2016 in In the Literature
In the Literature - October 2016
VBCR - October 2016, Vol 5, No 5 published on November 2, 2016 in In the Literature
In the Literature - August 2016
VBCR - August 2016, Vol 5, No 4 published on August 25, 2016 in In the Literature
In the Literature - July 2016
VBCN - July 2016 Volume 3, No 2 published on July 25, 2016 in In the Literature
In the Literature - June 2016
VBCC - June 2016, Vol 7, No 5 published on June 17, 2016 in In the Literature
In the Literature - May 2016
VBCC - May 2016, Vol 7, No 4 published on June 3, 2016 in In the Literature
Last modified: May 21, 2015
  • Rheumatology Practice Management
  • American Health & Drug Benefits
  • Value-Based Cancer Care
  • Value-Based Care in Myeloma
  • Value-Based Care in Neurology