Weight Could Influence Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief

The study found that those who were heaviest had almost 65 percent reduced odds of disease remission. Being underweight also lowered the odds of remission.

"Medication for rheumatoid arthritis is not as effective on the overweight population," said Dr. Susan Goodman, the study's lead author and a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Findings from the new research were presented earlier this month at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Boston. Studies presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

It's also important to note that while this study found a link between weight and rheumatoid arthritis remission, it wasn't designed to show whether or not weight was actually responsible for changes in remission status.

Almost 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition that causes painful joint swelling that can lead to joint deformity, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The disease is three times more common in women, and typically begins between ages 30 and 60, the Arthritis Foundation reported.

A major goal of treatment is to induce remission -- defined as no or low inflammation or no signs of active disease, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who achieve remission experience a significant reduction in symptoms, according to Goodman. Patients have achieved remission when they no longer have fatigue, swelling in their joints and short-lived morning joint stiffness, she noted. Patients are significantly more likely to attain these results if they adhere to a specific plan to combat the disease, Goodman said.

The current study followed nearly 1,000 patients -- who developed the disease at an early age -- for three years.

The researchers found that people who were underweight had 45 percent lower odds of achieving remission than people of normal weight. And, people who were obese (a body mass index -- or BMI -- of 35 to 40) or morbidly obese (a BMI over 40) had about 50 to 60 percent lower odds of achieving remission of their rheumatoid arthritis, according to the study. BMI is a measurement that roughly estimates how much body fat a person has.

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