Does Arthritis Cause Weight Loss

Link With Metabolic Syndrome

• cardiovascular disease
• other health issues

These all form part of a collection of conditions known jointly as metabolic syndrome. They all appear to involve high levels of inflammation, and they may all influence each other.

Theres growing evidence that OA may also be part of metabolic syndrome.

Following a diet that reduces the risk, which helps slow the progression of metabolic syndrome, may also help with OA.

This includes eating fresh foods that are high in nutrients, with a focus on:

• fresh fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants and other nutrients
• fiber-rich foods, such as whole foods and plant-based foods
• healthy oils, such as olive oil

Foods to avoid include those that:

Appetite And Rheumatoid Arthritis

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis experience a decreased appetite. Sometimes the condition itself can cause a loss of appetite, and sometimes RA medications can be the culprit. Regardless of the causes, a loss of appetite can lead to unintentional and potentially unhealthy weight loss which also can be an RA symptom.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when the bodys immune system mistakenly attacks the joints. In people with RA, the bodys defenders attack connective tissue lining the joints. The inflammation and joint pain common in RA can contribute to a decreased appetite as can other RA complications.

If you have RA and have experienced any changes in appetite or unintentional weight loss, seek medical advice from your rheumatologist or primary care provider. They will be able to determine whether RA is behind these changes and decide on the best course of action.

Diet Beats Exercise For Weight Loss

After decades of weight loss research, experts conclude that exercise alone won’t win the battle of the bulge.| By Brenda Goodman

Exercise can be a powerful balm for many of the things that ail us, including depression, bone loss, fatigue, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. But the reason many of us pound the pavement is because we want to lose weight, and that, experts say, is a goal for which exercise alone may not be especially helpful. Monitoring your diet specifically portion control is more effective than exercise for weight loss. The reason boils down to simple math. It is far easier to eat 100 calories the amount in a piece of bread than it is to burn them off, which, for most of us, would require walking one mile. And while exercise helps us burn more calories, it also increases appetite, making it excruciatingly easy to undo all that hard work.

In the position paper Physical Activity and Public Health: Updated Recommendations for Adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association which was published in 2007, a blue ribbon panel of experts reviewed all available scientific evidence on the connections between exercise and health and conceded that while exercise is critical for many aspects of health, it doesnt seem to help with weight loss.

Amy Luke, PhD, a nutritional epidemiologist at Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine, in Chicago, has seen this phenomenon for herself.

You May Like: Arthritis Remission

Ra Weight Loss Strategies: What Can Be Done

• If you are well enough at times to do it, exercise. More on RA exercise.
• Eat frequent small meals to keep your metabolism up. More RA diet tips.
• Eat plenty of protein to sustain muscle tissue.
• Tell your doctor you want to include weight considerations in medicine decisions.
• Get family members to help you get the healthiest options. For example: To bring you a roasted chicken instead of fried chicken when bringing a meal or gourmet tea instead of a latte.
• Avoid empty calories. Spend them on things that could improve your health. More RA food strategies.
• Keep close tabs on thyroid levels. Being a middle aged woman & an RA patient are both risk factors for low thyroid, which causes weight gain.

Your turn. Tell us your best tip to maintain a healthy weight with RA!

You might also read:

Whats Arthritis In Dogs Anyway

As with people, arthritis is often a slow, progressive disease, Dr. Cruz said.

Arthritis in dogs has become more common as dogs lifespans have increased, since its seen most frequently in older dogs .

As dogs are living longer due to diet, genetics and improved veterinary care, they are demonstrating diseases that are more common with age, Dr. Cruz said.

Arthritis can be caused by a few things, including:

• Bacteria and infectious agents
• Abnormal immune responses
• Torn ligaments

• Reluctance towards going on walks
• Reluctance towards running, jumping or playing
• Sensitivity when the affected area is touched
• Weight gain
• Loss of muscle mass in affected limb

In the early stages of OA, before secondary degenerative changes have taken place, the diagnosis may be more difficult, Dr. Cruz said. Radiographs can be sent by a veterinarian to a board-certified veterinary radiologist for a second opinion.

Identifying these signs is an important part of treating arthritis in dogs, since theyre what youll be treating instead of the disease itself.

So while it can be sad seeing your dog get diagnosed with arthritis, you have so many treatment options available to help him live a good, happy life.We independently pick all the products we recommend because we love them and think you will too. If you buy a product from a link on our site, we may earn a commission.

Read Also: How To Slow Down Arthritis

Weight Management On Methotrexate

Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important for those who have arthritis and are taking methotrexate. Extra weight or not enough muscle mass can affect the outcome and progression of the disease.

For those who are overweight, losing the extra weight can help relieve the pain associated with the condition, and those who are underweight may benefit from gaining some to decrease the risk of developing adverse health outcomes associated with a low BMI. Being overweight is also associated with lower rates of remission. The good news is that there are ways a person can maintain a healthy weight to help cope with and manage their arthritis.

Acetaminophen & Weight Loss

Fact Checked

Acetaminophen is a common medication used primarily as a pain and fever reliever 2. It is found in a wide range of over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Feverall. While the medication is relatively safe, it is sometimes associated with effects on the body outside of its intended use. One such effect is weight loss, but medical science has no evidence to support this effect.

You May Like: Ways To Help Arthritis In Hands

Excess Weight Affects Ra In Two Ways

First, weight puts pressure on your knees, hips and other joints at a ratio of 4:1. If you are 40 pounds overweight, for instance, your knees are supporting an extra 160 pounds. That alone can create wear and tear on the joints over time, and RA causes further damage to your cartilage and bones.

Second, excess fat may well play another, less obvious role in RA. Fatty tissue secretes substances into your system that can cause inflammation. The more fat cells you have, the more inflammatory substances are present to make your joints ache and swell. These substances also may make it harder for RA medications to work well because they have more inflammation to overcome.

When you lose weight, you also lose fatty tissue and lower the amount of inflammatory agents in your body. Weight loss can help raise your odds of having less and even going into remission, with no pain or stiffness.

When Pain Doesnt Go Away

For joint pain that doesnt go away, both rheumatologists and pain medicine specialists offer treatments including:

• Anti-inflammatory medications. Pain-relief drugs can be taken by mouth or applied to the skin.
• Chronic musculoskeletal pain-relievers. Certain pain medications, like Cymbalta and Lyrica, may be prescribed by your health care provider.
• Injections. If the pain is disabling, injecting corticosteroid or viscosupplementation into the joint may help. Viscosupplementation is similar to a lubricating gel that can be injected into the knee joint to help decrease pain with movement.
• Radiofrequency ablation . This relatively new treatment for knee pain uses a special needle with a heated tip. When placed near the knees sensory nerves, the intense heat alters the nerves to stop them from transmitting pain. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes, it is an outpatient procedure in the doctors office, and it requires almost no recovery time. Patients can have an improvement in pain for months or perhaps a year. Radiofrequency ablation is a way to delay knee replacement, says Dr. Bolash. It doesnt fix the problem, but it buys time for the patient to lose weight, perhaps so they can become eligible for knee replacement later.

Don’t Miss: Arthritis Knuckle Pain

Why Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Weight Loss

Weight loss and cachexia amongst people with Rheumatoid Arthritis is thought to be due to cytokine production which increases resting metabolic rate and protein breakdown. Due to an inability to adequately meet their nutritional needs especially the increased calorie and protein needs weight loss might occur.

Would My Oa Patient Benefit From Losing Weight

Weight/Height Tables. Determining whether a patient would benefit from weight loss involves making some informed decisions. One method that offers general guidelines is to determine whether a patients weight falls into the healthy weight ranges currently recommended for adults. These ranges, which were revised and updated in 1995, are presented in the Optimal Weight/Height Table below. In general, within each range the lower weights are for women, while the higher weights are for men.

Federal Guidelines on Obesity The first Federal Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults were released in March, 1998 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . These guidelines proposed that health care providers use three measures to assess overweight: body mass index waist circumference, and patients risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity.

Read Also: Arthritis Pain Feels Like

Best Diet For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Whats good for the heart may also be good for rheumatoid arthritis.

Thats the conclusion of new research on nearly 170,000 women and their food habits by scientists at Harvard Medical School. Learn about the best diet for rheumatoid arthritis, and whats likely the worst diet.

Painful: the simple act of buttoning a shirt, or peeling a potato can be agonizing for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Learn about the best diet for rheumatoid arthritis, and how it might change your life.

Heres yet another reason to eat a heart-healthy diet like the Pritikin Eating Plan: possible protection against a punishing, fatiguing disease called rheumatoid arthritis, often nicknamed RA.

RA affects about 1.5 million people in the U.S. Its three times more common in women than men. For women, it often emerges between ages 30 and 60. For men, it occurs later.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes Weight Loss For What Reason

Its unlikely that Rheumatoid Arthritis is the first disease you think of when you hear about unexplained weight loss, but there are a few reasons why people with RA sometimes lose weight.

In the beginning of the disease, inflammation is very active, and weight loss can be a side effect of inflammation, says Joshua Baker, MD, assistant professor of rheumatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

Specifically, cytokines that wreak havoc on joints also contribute to muscle breakdown and metabolism in RA patients. A person can have this problem if, among other things, they have yet to be diagnosed with RA if they have been diagnosed but their treatment hasnt kick-started yet, or if they already have RA but their current treatment has failed.

Caroline A. Andrew, MD, a medical weight management specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, says that rheumatoid arthritis can also cause weight loss via decreased appetite. Weight loss can also be caused by aches and pains: The more difficulty a person has moving and exercising, the more likely they will lose muscle mass.

Recommended Reading: What To Do For Rheumatoid Arthritis In Hands

How Can My Diet Affect My Condition

Eating a balanced diet and having a healthy lifestyle such as regular physical activity, not smoking, not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can have a huge impact on arthritis and our health in general.

Although there are no diets or supplements that will cure your arthritis, some people do find that their condition is affected by what they eat, how much they weigh and their physical activity levels.

There are many types of arthritis, and there are differences between people, so what works for one person may not work for another.

When it comes to what we eat, the two things that can have the biggest impact on arthritis are:

• Your weight being overweight can increase the strain on your joints, so keeping to a healthy weight can help. Being overweight can also increase your risk of developing certain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
• Eating a balanced diet eating a diet with all the vitamins and minerals you need is important for everyone, but for people with arthritis it could help reduce the side effects of some drugs and protect you from conditions affecting the heart and blood, which can be a complication of some forms of arthritis.

Changing your diet probably wont have as great an impact on your arthritis as medical treatments, and its not recommended that you stop any of your treatments.

You should always speak to a healthcare professional before you make any major changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Tips To Lose Weight For Arthritis

Keep Your Goal Reasonable: If you lose a lot of weight, that’s terrific. When starting out, though, you should keep your goals simple. Don’t worry about your ideal body weight. Try first to lose 10 pounds, and then keep that weight off.

Low-Impact Is the Way to Go: Losing weight may require you to learn a new way to exercise. Most patients I have dealing with arthritis find walking long distances difficult. Therefore, trying to exercise by walking may not work out. Take up swimming or water aerobics as a way to exercise without joint pain.

Diet Is Just as Important: Watching what you eat is just as important as the exercise you perform. Weight loss goals can be best achieved with a healthy diet and appropriate exercise. Trying to lose weight by a sudden, dramatic change in exercise habits or diet is unlikely to succeed. Instead, find more subtle changes that you can adapt to and maintain to reach your calorie goals.

Get Help: Achieving the goal of weight loss is much more likely to be successful if you have help and a support network. Some ideas include talking with your healthcare provider, making goals with friends and using online tools to help you achieve your goals. Joining an online community can help you get the support you need.

You May Like: Can You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis In Your Back

Characteristics Of The Study Population

In total, 46 patients were included and started VLED treatment, whereof five patients dropped out before the 6months visit .

A total of 41 patients completed the study, 63% women. The median baseline age was 54 years. The characteristics of the study population are shown in Table .

Table 1 Characteristics of the 41 patients with PsA and obesity included in the study

Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Symptoms of RA may come and go, and include:

• Joint pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness
• Morning stiffness
• Eyes that are dry, painful, and sensitive to light
• Small lumps under the skin
• Shortness of breath brought on by inflammation in the lungs

Other days are fine. When I feel good, I do yoga, run, and go about life like I dont know what rheumatoid arthritis is, says Katie.

You May Like: Best Remedy For Arthritis In Fingers

Excess Weight Boosts Joint Inflammation

Arthritis is an inflammatory disease. Rheumatoid arthritis begins when your immune system attacks the tissues lining your joints and causes inflammation. Though osteoarthritis doesnt begin with inflammation, it gradually develops due to damage and irritation in the joint.

Without treatment, the joint inflammation becomes chronic and contributes to the severity of your disease. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation erodes the bone and leads to joint deformities.

Theres another way being overweight contributes to inflammation. Fat cells constantly release biochemicals that cause inflammation throughout your body, including your joints. Extra body weight translates into more biochemicals and a higher level of inflammation. This additional inflammation raises your risk of developing arthritis and makes existing arthritis worse.