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Slow-to-Moderate Weight Loss Linked to Lower Mortality in Knee, Hip OA

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 7, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2023 -- For individuals with overweight or obesity and knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA), a slow-to-moderate, but not a fast, rate of weight loss is associated with a reduced risk for all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Jie Wei, Ph.D., from Xiangya Hospital in Changsha, China, and colleagues examined the relationship between the rate of weight loss induced by antiobesity medication during one year and all-cause mortality among patients with overweight or obesity and knee or hip OA. The effect of slow-to-moderate (2 to 10 percent) or fast (≥10 percent) weight loss induced by antiobesity medications within one year was examined.

The five-year all-cause mortality rates were 5.3, 4.0, and 5.4 percent for weight gain or stable, slow-to-moderate weight loss, and fast weight loss, respectively, among 6,524 participants. The researchers found that the hazard ratios of all-cause mortality were 0.72 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.56 to 0.92) and 0.99 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.44) for the slow-to-moderate and fast weight-loss arms compared with the weight-gain or stable arm. Weight loss had a dose-response protective effect on incident hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and venous thromboembolism, while the risk for cardiovascular disease was slightly, but not significantly, higher in individuals with a fast rate of weight loss versus those in the weight-gain or stable arm; no significant association was seen for weight loss with the risk for cancer.

"A slow-to-moderate rate of weight loss induced by antiobesity medications may lower the risk of death in overweight/obese people with knee/hip osteoarthritis," Wei said in a statement.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted December 2023

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