Osteoarthritis (OA), commonly known as wear and tear arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage or cushion between joints breaks down leading to pain, stiffness and swelling. Risk factors for OA include age, gender, trauma, overuse, genetics and obesity.
“When we walk, when we go up and down stairs, or get into or out of a chair or car, we can put three to five times our body weight, and sometimes more, on the joints,” says Geoffrey Westrich, attending orthopedic surgeon and Director of Joint Replacement Research at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “So if you’re 50 pounds overweight, you’re putting around 250 pounds of increased stress across your knees and hips.” Over time, that extra weight …show more content…
One study found that knee osteoarthritis in obese men would decrease by 21.5% if they lost enough weight to be categorized as overweight. For women, arthritis would decrease by 31%.
Research has shown there is a link between being overweight and having an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the hands. These studies suggest that excess fat tissue produces inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) that can damage the joints. The fat itself is active tissue that creates and releases chemicals, many of which promote inflammation. “These chemicals can influence the development of OA,” explains Jeffrey N. Katz, MD, a professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
This effect can be seen in the numerous studies that have linked extra weight to hand OA. “Obviously, you don’t walk on your hands, so there may be something that is produced by fat cells in the body that causes the joint to break down more rapidly than it might otherwise,” says David Felson, MD, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of
“When we walk, when we go up and down stairs, or get into or out of a chair or car, we can put three to five times our body weight, and sometimes more, on the joints,” says Geoffrey Westrich, attending orthopedic surgeon and Director of Joint Replacement Research at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “So if you’re 50 pounds overweight, you’re putting around 250 pounds of increased stress across your knees and hips.” Over time, that extra weight …show more content…
One study found that knee osteoarthritis in obese men would decrease by 21.5% if they lost enough weight to be categorized as overweight. For women, arthritis would decrease by 31%.
Research has shown there is a link between being overweight and having an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the hands. These studies suggest that excess fat tissue produces inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) that can damage the joints. The fat itself is active tissue that creates and releases chemicals, many of which promote inflammation. “These chemicals can influence the development of OA,” explains Jeffrey N. Katz, MD, a professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
This effect can be seen in the numerous studies that have linked extra weight to hand OA. “Obviously, you don’t walk on your hands, so there may be something that is produced by fat cells in the body that causes the joint to break down more rapidly than it might otherwise,” says David Felson, MD, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of