Do you know how people say that being overweight can lead to health problems?
Well, new research shows that being overweight can make a condition called arthritis worse.
This happens because the extra weight causes changes in our body that can create more inflammation, a kind of swelling that can cause pain and harm our health.
What Did Researchers Discover?
Scientists from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom found out some interesting things. They learned that being overweight can cause changes in special cells inside our joints.
These changes can lead to more inflammation and make arthritis worse. This information was published in a journal called Clinical and Translational Medicine.
What Are These Special Cells?
Our joints are where two bones come together, like in our knees and elbows. Inside these joints, there is a type of tissue called synovium, and this tissue has special cells in it.
These special cells, called synovial fibroblasts, are like the oil in a car’s engine. They help keep our joints moving smoothly by making a special liquid that works like a lubricant.
How Does Obesity Come into the Picture?
When a person is overweight, their fat tissues behave differently than they would in a person who is not overweight.
These altered fat tissues can release proteins called cytokines and adipokines, which can cause inflammation throughout the body.
The researchers found that being overweight can also change the environment inside the joint itself. This change can make the special cells inside the joint more likely to cause inflammation.
What Does This Mean for Our Joints?
The inflammation caused by being overweight can lead to more damage in our joints than just normal wear and tear. This is true even for joints that don’t bear a lot of weight, like the joints in our hands.
When the environment inside the joint changes because of being overweight, the special cells in the joint can become cells that cause more inflammation. This inflammation can then damage the joint and make arthritis worse.
Does the Extra Weight Cause More Pressure on Our Joints?
You might think that being overweight causes more damage to our joints because of the extra pressure from the weight. But, the researchers found that this isn’t necessarily the case.
They studied different types of joints, like the hips and knees, which carry a lot of our body’s weight, and joints like the hands, which don’t carry much weight.
They found that being overweight had the same effect on all types of joints, whether they bear a lot of weight or not.
Why is This Research Important?
This research is important because it helps doctors and scientists understand arthritis better. It can help them come up with new ways to treat arthritis and possibly even find a cure.
If doctors know that being overweight can make arthritis worse, they can help their patients by giving them advice on how to maintain a healthy weight.
What do Others Say?
Zoe Chivers, from a charity called Versus Arthritis, said that this study shows that arthritis is not just about wear and tear. It’s about changes in the body, like inflammation, that can make arthritis worse.
The more we know about what causes arthritis, the closer we are to finding better ways to treat it.
In conclusion, maintaining a healthy weight is not just good for our overall health, but it’s also good for our joints.
By understanding how being overweight can affect our joints, we can take steps to protect them and keep them healthy. This research brings us one step closer to a future with more effective treatments for arthritis.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and eating yogurt linked to lower frailty in older people.
The study was published in Clinical and Translational Medicine.
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