Recent research suggests that losing excess weight not only helps prevent knee arthritis, but may slow its progression in people who already have it.
Researchers found that among more than 9,000 middle-aged and elderly people, those who were able to shed extra pounds benefited their knees in two ways. If you already have knee arthritis, joint damage progresses more slowly.
Excessive pounds have long been known to be a risk factor for developing knee arthritis. Also, if a person with this condition is overweight or obese, losing weight is recommended to relieve pain. .
Experts said new findings suggest that weight loss may not only help reduce pain, but may also help protect the integrity of the knee joint itself.
Dr. Emily Carroll, Rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, said:
Dr. Linda Russell, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, also in New York City, agrees.
“If you have osteoarthritis of the knee and you lose weight, you will definitely feel less pain,” said Russell. “This also suggests that weight loss slows the progression of joint damage.”
According to Russell, the findings by a team from the University of New South Wales in Australia aren’t particularly surprising. Basically, extra weight puts a lot of pressure on your knees, especially on the inside (or inside) of the joint. In the study, Russell noted that changes in body weight were associated with possible narrowing of the joint space, especially on the inside of the knee.
“So this confirms what we suspected,” she said.
But that confirmation is important, Russell added.
“If you’re losing weight with osteoarthritis of the knee, you may be able to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery,” Russell said.
One point, though, is that it took a significant amount of weight loss to make a significant difference. We found that we needed to move down the Body Mass Index (BMI) category, such as moving to
According to Russell, it’s hard. “The difficulty is that people with knee osteoarthritis often find it difficult to exercise because of the pain,” she said.
Still, there are low-impact exercises that get your heart pumping and burn calories, such as swimming, walking, biking, and using an elliptical machine, according to both doctors.
“I encourage my patients to find things they can do and enjoy,” said Russell.
The Australian study included approximately 5,800 adults without knee osteoarthritis and just over 6,000 who already had the disease. Osteoarthritis is a common “wear and tear” type of arthritis that involves the destruction of the cartilage that cushions the joints.
Overall, the study found that about one-fifth of participants were able to lower their BMI over four to five years. (BMI is an estimate of body fat from height and weight.)
Each ‘unit’ reduction in BMI was associated with a 5% reduction in risk of developing knee arthritis and a similar reduction in risk of further joint damage. The researchers found that if the knee arthritis patient’s BMI dropped by 5 units from his BMI, enough to drop into a new her BMI category, the risk of progression dropped by 22%, the researchers found.
But Carroll says less weight loss means less benefit, but it’s still important. “Every bit counts,” she said.
Carroll points out that exercise is only part of the equation for both weight loss and maintenance, and a healthy diet that can be maintained over the long term is key.
Both doctors recommended that people with knee arthritis consult a health care provider for weight loss help. Also, some people are eligible for weight loss treatment, depending on their BMI and other health conditions.
The findings were recently published online in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. The lead author, Zübeyir Salis, is a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
For more information
The Arthritis Foundation has more information on osteoarthritis of the knee.
sauce:
Emily Carroll, MD, Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Mount Sinai Health System, New York City. Linda Russell, MD, Director, Perioperative Services, Special Surgery Hospital, Assistant Professor, Medicine, New York City She Weill Cornell Medical College. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 16 Aug 2022, online.
This article originally appeared on the HealthDay site.
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