People who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be less likely than\u00a0those of a normal weight to improve with medication, according to research from Sweden.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n The link between a person\u2019s weight and their RA symptoms is not simple. We know that having excess body fat\u00a0can affect how the body\u2019s immune system works, which may have implications for conditions like RA (where\u00a0the immune system attacks the body rather than just protecting it). But we\u2019re not really sure what those implications\u00a0might be.<\/p>\n WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO LEARN?<\/strong><\/p>\n In this new study the researchers wanted to know whether people who were overweight when first diagnosed\u00a0with RA were less likely to respond well to treatment than people of a normal weight.<\/p>\n WHO WAS STUDIED?<\/strong><\/p>\n This study included just under 500 people in Sweden who were recently diagnosed with RA. At diagnosis most\u00a0people began treatment with DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs), usually methotrexate.<\/p>\n HOW WAS THE STUDY CONDUCTED?<\/strong><\/p>\n At the start of the study the researchers measured the participants\u2019 disease activity score (their DAS-28). They\u00a0also weighed and measured them to work out their body mass index (BMI).\u00a0A person\u2019s BMI is a single number that relates their weight to their height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 suggests a\u00a0person is at a normal weight. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 suggests they are overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more The participants completed questionnaires about their background and lifestyle so that the researchers could\u00a0adjust their findings to take into account things that can affect someone\u2019s DAS-28, including their sex, whether\u00a0they smoked, their social and economic status, and how much exercise they took.\u00a0The researchers then measured everyone\u2019s DAS-28 again after three and six months. They looked to see\u00a0whether the people who were overweight at diagnosis had responded better or worse to treatment with WHAT DOES THE NEW STUDY SAY?<\/strong><\/p>\n After six months, people who were overweight at diagnosis were less likely to have responded well to treatment\u00a0than people of a normal weight. People who were overweight were:<\/p>\n HOW RELIABLE ARE THE FINDINGS?<\/strong><\/p>\n This study used sound methods and its findings should be fairly reliable. One major strength of this research is\u00a0that it was a population-based study. This means that it looked at how well people responded to treatment in\u00a0their real lives, outside of the setting of a drug trial, which can be somewhat artificial and not always give the\u00a0most useful information.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?<\/strong><\/p>\n Unlike previous studies that looked at how being overweight might affect RA treatment overall, this research\u00a0looked mainly at people taking methotrexate. So we now know that there may be a link between being overweight\u00a0and how well methotrexate works in treating RA.<\/p>\n But this study can\u2019t tell us exactly why people who are overweight at diagnosis don\u2019t do as well on the drug.\u00a0Is it that being overweight makes RA worse? Or does having excess body fat affect methotrexate\u2019s ability to\u00a0relieve symptoms and reduce disease activity?\u00a0Either way, the next step is to find out whether losing weight could improve treatment response for people\u00a0who are overweight. If future studies find that it can, it could mean the possibility of a better prognosis for\u00a0many people.\u00a0Of course, losing weight isn\u2019t easy. But a possible reduction in disease activity, pain and swelling could be a\u00a0powerful motivator.<\/p>\n Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is a summary of a scientific article written by a medical professional (\u201cthe Original Article\u201d). The Summary is written to assist non medically trained readers to understand general points of the Original Article. \u00a0It should not be relied on in any way whatsoever<\/span>, (which also means the Summary is not medical advice), and is simply supplied to aid a lay understanding of general points of the Original Article. It is supplied \u201cas is\u201d without any warranty. You should note that the Original Article (and Summary) may not be accurate as errors can occur and also may be out of date as medical science is constantly changing. \u00a0It is very important that readers not rely on the content in the Summary and consult their medical professionals for all aspects of their health care. Do not use this Summary as medical advice even if the Summary is supplied to the reader by a medical professional.<\/strong> Date summary prepared:\u00a0November 2014<\/p>\n Summary based on research article published on:\u00a012 May 2012<\/p>\n From:\u00a0Sandberg, M E C, et al<\/em>.\u00a0Overweight decreases the chance of achieving good response and low disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis.\u00a0Ann Rheum Dis<\/em> 2014;73:2029-2033 doi:10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-205094<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism. Medical professionals may print copies for their and their patients and students non commercial use. Other individuals may print a single copy for their personal, non commercial use. For other uses please contact our Rights and Licensing<\/a> Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be less likely than\u00a0those of a normal weight to improve with medication, according to research from Sweden. INTRODUCTION The link between a person\u2019s weight and their RA symptoms is not simple. We know that having excess body fat\u00a0can affect how the body\u2019s […]<\/p>\n
\nWe also know that excess body fat can cause inflammation in some of the body\u2019s tissues. But some people\u00a0with excess body fat produce higher-than-normal amounts of cortisol, a substance with a strong antiinflammatory\u00a0effect. So just how does body weight affect RA?
\nPrevious research has suggested that people with RA who are overweight or very overweight (obese) are less\u00a0likely to improve in the long term than people of a normal weight. Studies have also found that people with\u00a0RA who are overweight don\u2019t do as well when treated with anti-TNF drugs such as infliximab. But these studies\u00a0didn\u2019t look closely at people in the early stages of RA, and they couldn\u2019t tell us clearly about how well people\u00a0who were overweight did when treated with methotrexate, one of the most common medicines for RA.<\/p>\n
\nsuggests they are obese.<\/p>\n
\nDMARDs than those of a normal weight.<\/p>\n\n
\nno more than 3.2)<\/li>\n
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