ACR: Higher BMI Linked to Worse Flare Symptoms in Early RA
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 21, 2023 -- For patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with worse flare symptoms, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Nov. 10 to 15 in San Diego.
Margaret Butler, from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and colleagues recruited participants with two or more swollen joints and early/recent-onset RA at two centers to examine the impact of elevated BMI on the severity of RA flare symptoms and quality of life (QOL). At each visit, baseline characteristics and patient-reported outcomes were recorded. The OMERACT RA-Flare Questionnaire (RA-FQ) was used to determine flares. Data were included for 134 participants; 46 percent had overweight or obesity.
The researchers found that higher Evaluator Global Assessment (EGA) scores and elevated BMI were significant predictors of higher RA-FQ scores (β = 2.3 and 0.38, respectively); EGA was significantly associated with all five RA-FQ subscores, and BMI was significantly associated with four subscores. Compared with those in the healthy-weight and overweight categories, in patients with obesity, there was an amplified impact of elevated BMI on RA-FQ scores. An inverse association was seen for age with the total RA-FQ score and function subscore (β = −0.11 and −0.03, respectively).
"Our key finding was that there was a linear relationship between having a higher BMI and having a higher RA-FQ score," Butler said in a statement. "Having a higher BMI also predicted worse scores in each of the five individual categories except physical function."
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.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2023
Read this next
Small Differences in Weight Change With First-Line Antidepressants
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For eight first-line antidepressants, small differences are seen in mean weight change, with the least weight gain with bupropion, according to a study...
Bariatric Surgery Tied to Lower Risk of MACE, Death in Obesity, Sleep Apnea
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Metabolic surgery is associated with significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with nonsurgical management among...
RA Patients With Mono-, Oligo-Arthritis, High PGA Remain Most Fatigued
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with mono- or oligo-arthritis and high Patient Global Assessment (PGA) at diagnosis remain the most fatigued, according...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.