Obesity, ostearthritis and clinical treatment

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between BMI and pain and function in patients with OA undergoing medical treatment following OARSI recommendations. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients were classified according to their arthritis degree by X-ray and body mass index (BMI). All patients completed the WOMAC, Lequesne, and visual analogue pain scale (VAS) questionnaires at baseline and after six months treatment. All patients were treated with diacerhein and analgesics (according to pain), orthotics (when indicated), and an educational program on osteoarthritis. They were instructed on balanced diet and exercise at least three times a week. RESULTS: There was no significant BMI variation in this study. The higher the initial BMI, the lower the improvement in pain (p = 0.03). Pain did not improve significantly (p = 0.2). Function improved (p <0.001) in inverse ratio to the initial BMI. CONCLUSION: BMI determines how patients will improve pain and function.

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“…This pain generally remained unchanged over a 6year period. However, when Rosales et al, 20 examined the impact of pain relieving medication, and education, plus the adoption of a balanced diet and exercise at least 3times a week among 38 osteoarthritis cases, they not only found no significant body mass variation but those with higher initial body mass indices were less successful than those with lower body mass indices. As well pain did not improve significantly and those with high body mass indices did not improve as much as those with lower body mass indices.…”

Obesity, Osteoarthritis and Pain

“…This pain generally remained unchanged over a 6 year period. However, when Rosales et al [20] examined the impact of pain relieving medication, and education, plus the adoption of a balanced diet and exercise at least 3 times a week among 38 osteoarthritis cases, they not only found no significant body mass variation but those with higher initial body mass indices were less successful than those with lower body mass indices. As well pain did not improve significantly and those with high body mass indices did not improve as much as those with lower body mass indices.…”

Prevalence of joint pain and osteoarthritis in obese Brazilian population

“…There is a strong tendency, therefore, of a great increase in its prevalence in our country, since according to governmental reports the Brazilian population is getting older and heavier 5,14 . 5 .…”

“…5 . Recent decades has also witnessed significant increase in population's overweight (BMI between 25-30) and obesity (BMI above 30) rates and for the first time the number of overweight or obese people exceeded 50% of the Brazilian population 14 . It is currently known that knee OA is strongly associated with high metabolic and inflammatory environments found in obesity 9 .…”

“…OA is a slow and gradual process, highly prevalent in the adult population, which causes pain, loss of function and poor quality of life, especially in the elderly and obese individuals 5 . High body mass index (BMI), as well as maintaining this condition for a long period of time, are important risk factors for its development 14 . The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10% of the population over 60 years has serious medical problems resulting from OA 20 .…”