Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the joints wears away over time, allowing the ends of bones to rub against each other, causing pain, swelling and stiffness.
Losing 10% or more of total body weight has been found to improve knee arthritis, but if it gets too bad patients might need an artificial joint to replace the ruined one.
In a study from Monash University, scientists found a person doesn’t have to pack on very many extra pounds before their risk of needing a knee replacement increases substantially.
Weight gain of just 11 pounds increases a woman’s odds of needing total knee replacement surgery by one-third, and a man’s risk by one-quarter.
Knee pain and stiffness also increased with this weight gain, while people’s overall quality of life and ability to use their knees decreased.
In this study, researchers reviewed 20 published studies that examined the relationship between weight gain and osteoarthritis.
They found that weight gain had strong detrimental effects on the knee joint, including damage visible on X-rays.
This means osteoarthritis was more likely to develop with weight gain and to progress more quickly.
The team then combined results from two large studies involving more than a quarter of a million people and found that an 11-pound increase in weight made total knee replacement surgery 35% more likely for women and 25% more likely for men.
The team says knee replacements are costly and one in five people are dissatisfied with the results and remain in pain after surgery.
Those who remain in pain are more likely to require a second surgery, which is more costly and less likely to control their pain.
The team suggests people at risk for osteoarthritis should be counseled on ways to manage their weight.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that overweight, not high blood sugar, linked to higher risk of COVID-19, and a keto-diet for weight loss can cause flu-like symptoms.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies about exercises that could prevent weight gain despite ‘obesity genes’, and results showing 5 things to avoid if you want to lose weight successfully.
The study was conducted by Dr. Anita Wluka et al and presented at the International Congress on Obesity.
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