Research from Baker et al. demonstrated a strong association between the presence of metabolic syndrome and lower response rates to advanced therapies in patients with RA.
3 AC&R Study Summaries: MoCA Screening in SLE, Pediatric Social Disadvantages & Surgical Weight Loss Interventions
MoCA as a Screening Test in SLE Assessing the utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) By Oshrat E. Tayer-Shifman, MD, Kimberley Yuen, BSc, MD, & Zahi Touma, MD, PhD, FACP, FACR Why was this study done? Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with a prevalence of 40% based on…
Psoriatic Arthritis & the Obese Patient
Estimates from the National Psoriasis Foundation indicate that more than 8 million people in the U.S. suffer from psoriasis and that approximately 30% of those individuals develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 Given these statistics, roughly 2.4 million people in the country are likely affected by PsA. Moreover, patients with this systemic condition carry a higher-than-average burden…
3 New Study Summaries from AC&R: Obesity in RA, CPDD Risk Factors & SLE Disparities
1) Obesity & Treatment Response in RA Obesity & response to advanced therapies in rheumatoid arthritis Why was this study done? There have been questions regarding whether certain therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are less effective in patients with obesity, particularly for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, because adipose tissue is known to generate TNF,…
COVID-19 Puts Latino Patients with Rheumatic Disease at Risk of a Disease Flare
In their new study, Fike et al. found Latino patients with rheumatic diseases have a higher rate of COVID-19 than the general Latino population. Obesity is a risk factor for COVID-19, and COVID-19 is a risk factor for rheumatic disease flare.
Total Knee Replacement Cost-Effective, Even with Obesity & Comorbidities
(Reuters Health)—Total knee replacement surgery can be a cost-effective procedure for patients with severe obesity and osteoarthritis (OA), even when they also have comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers did a cost-benefit analysis for two patient populations (over 65 years, and age 50 to 65) who had…
Obesity, Drinking & Unhealthy Diet Add to Gout Risk
(Reuters Health)—Behavior changes could potentially reduce a large part of the risk for developing gout, a U.S. study suggests. Based on data from more than 14,000 people, researchers calculated how much factors like being overweight, following a diet that isn’t heart healthy, drinking alcohol or taking diuretics contribute to high levels of uric acid—a precursor…
Does Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass Increase the Risk of Knee OA?
Obesity is a well-known risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but data regarding the association of body composition (fat and muscle mass) with the risk of knee OA are lacking. Thus, it is not clear whether the effects of BMI, typically interpreted as effects of obesity, are truly due to excess adiposity rather than to overall loading due to the combined weight of body mass. Misra et al. undertook this study to examine the longitudinal association of body composition categories based on fat and muscle mass with the risk of incident knee OA…
Is More Better? Weight Loss Analysis in Older Patients with Knee OA
Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for many patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and the National Institutes of Health recommend an initial weight loss goal of 10%. But how does losing more weight affect knee OA patients? In a new study, researchers compared the outcomes of knee OA patients who lost more and less than the recommended 10% of their baseline weight, finding significant improvement in health-related quality of life and reduction in pain for patients who lost twice what’s recommended…
Effects of Obesity on Sustained Remission in Early RA
A new study examined the independent effects of excess weight and obesity on achieving sustained remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Researchers found that within three years of RA diagnosis, overweight and obese patients were significantly less likely to achieve sustained remission than patients with healthy body mass indices (BMIs). Higher BMIs were also associated with persistent disease activity…