Bariatric surgery can improve outcome for people with rheumatoid arthritis
Overweight people with rheumatoid arthritis could enjoy better health if they have bariatric surgery, according to a small new US study published in Arthritis Care & Research.
Experts looked at the effect of weight loss after bariatric surgery in 53 people with rheumatoid arthritis. Data about rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and medication use was measured before surgery and at six and 12 months after the operation.
Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity improved after surgery: one year after surgery, 6% had moderate to high disease activity, compared to 57% at the start of the study.
And in the most recent follow-up meeting, 74% of the volunteers were in remission compared to 26% at the start of the study.
“After substantial weight loss from bariatric surgery, rheumatoid arthritis patients had lower disease activity, decreased serum inflammatory markers, and less rheumatoid arthritis-related medication use,” the research group says. “Weight loss may be an important nonpharmacologic strategy to reduce rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.”
Other factors could also have contributed to improvements, however, such as improved efficacy of medications, improved physical activity, and metabolic changes.
Dr Katherine Free from Arthritis Research UK comments:
“Being overweight can contribute to the pain of arthritis by putting extra pressure on the joints, and having too much body fat may also increase inflammation in the body, making your joints more painful. Evidence shows that losing weight can reduce inflammation in any kind of arthritis and therefore it is important that, wherever possible, people with rheumatoid arthritis remain active and maintain a healthy weight and diet.
“Even small weight losses can lead to a significant improvement in symptoms and also reduce the risk of other complications, for example heart disease, which are increased in people with inflammatory arthritis. In the first instance, it is always a good idea to work with your doctor to devise a programme combining weight loss, a diet with the correct vitamins and minerals, and lifestyle advice to find the best way to manage your individual arthritis needs.”
Click here to read the original research.
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