It has been well accepted that weight loss, even at a minimal level, is an effective approach in preventing osteoarthritis, medical experts say, referring to various clinical tests. One study reported that a loss of just two units of a person’s body mass index (BMI) may reduce the risk of developing this very common joint disorder by 50 percent.
Osteoarthritis and Obesity
Along with the ageing process which has been identified as the traditional cause of primary osteoarthritis, obesity has now been recognized by doctors as a major risk factor of this disease. Considering that the amount of stress being exerted by the excess weight on the weight-bearing joins, this recognition is quite understandable.
It is believed that in a stationary position, the stress being placed on the hips is three times that of the body weight. When going up or down the stairs, this is increased six fold. One can just imagine the extent of the “wear and tear” being put into the hip joints with this very heavy load.
This deterioration of the joints may have to do with adipokines, which are produced by fat tissues, as suggested by a recent study. Already linked by previous researches to other obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes and heart ailments, these biomolecules have been found to contribute to the breakdown of tissues.
Weight Reduction Benefits
The reduction of excess weight may relieve the pressure on the weight-bearing joints and therefore minimizes wear and tear of the tissues, tendons, and ligaments; in the same manner that extra weight strains these joints. And it should be noted that osteoarthritis results from the deterioration of these components due to the “wear and tear”.
Validating this are the results of a study which showed that the risk of osteoarthritis is decreased by more than 50 percent when overweight women lost an average of 11 pounds or equivalent to two BMI points. One study also reported that losing weight may inhibit the production of biomolecules responsible for triggering inflammatory changes that may lead to osteoarthritis.
Prevention of Hip Surgery
Overweight people undergoing a weight loss program not only benefit by preventing osteoarthritis but also eliminate the need for a hip replacement surgery in the future. Clinical studies have determined that overweight and obese people are 10 times more likely to require surgical procedures for the treatment of this condition.
One study in the United Kingdom found that hip surgeries for obese people may not be successful and may result to complications, which may make matters worse. If this is not bad enough, having a hip replacement surgery may increase the dangers faced by the recipient with the possible complications associated with metal-on-metal hip implants. Serious injuries due to these complications have been sustained by thousands of patients, which have prompted them to file hip implant lawsuits.
References:
arthritisresearchuk.org/ weight-loss-may-prevent-and-treat-osteoarthritis
ors.org/blog/2013/01/28/new-evidence-linking-obesity-and-osteoarthritis/
arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/losing-weight/benefits-of-weight-loss
webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/osteoarthritis
