If you or someone you know has Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA, you understand just how painful the condition can be. RA is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the joints, causing severe inflammation, swelling, and even disfigurement. While researchers continue to uncover the mechanisms behind how it works, what has been made clear is that obesity both plays a role in its development and presents challenges to its treatment.
In addition to having similar prevalence rates (about 67% of RA sufferers are diagnosed as overweight or obese, which reflects the same percentage as the general US population), the most distinct shared trait between obesity and RA is chronic inflammation. In obesity, inflammation is caused by increased fat mass, which plays an active role in cell deterioration throughout the body. The inflammation caused by excess fat exacerbates the inflammation caused by the autoimmune response of RA. The result is increased severity of RA symptoms. To make matters worse, the sheer amount of pressure excessive body weight has on joints intensifies already elevated RA pain.
Treatment of RA symptoms primarily relies on different types of medications designed to minimize symptoms and slow RA activity. However, research shows that these types of medications can be significantly less effective with RA patients who also suffer from obesity versus those at a healthy weight. A 2013 study published in Arthritis Care & Research reported that RA patients with obesity have up to a 50% reduced chance of experiencing a positive outcome after 12 months with biologics, a common class of drugs used to treat RA.
To prevent RA symptoms and activity from progressing, the first thing you must do is take a hard look at your eating habits. Are you eating foods that are known to control inflammation, such as fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts? Are you tracking the number of calories you consume on a daily basis? If you answer no to both of these questions, it’s time to start making some changes that will result in weight loss.
In addition to watching what you eat, you should also make sure you pursue other proven healthy-weight behaviors, such as increased activity levels (yes, you can and should exercise with arthritis), better quality sleep and reduced stress levels. All of these behaviors can have a tremendous impact on your ability to lose weight, keep it off, and decrease chronic inflammation in the long term.
Don’t let RA control your life. We know the pain can discourage you, but remember, you have the power to significantly improve your life by taking some simple, proven steps. With successful weight loss, you’ll be able to take more pain-free steps with ease.
