A new study from Boston University School of Medicine strongly links obesity with rapid cartilage loss and arthritis. Frank W. Roemer, M.D., adjunct associate professor at Boston University and co-director of the Quantitative Imaging Center at the Department of Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine, commented on the findings: "We have isolated demographic and MRI-based risk factors for progressive cartilage loss. ... Increased baseline body mass index (BMI) was the only non-MRI-based predictor identified."

The study examined tibio-femoral cartilage in 347 knees of 336 patients. Researchers found that patients with excess weight were significantly more likely to have rapid cartilage loss. For every one-unit increase in BMI, the likelihood of rapid cartilage loss increased by 11 percent. The researchers were unable to link any other demographic factors, such as race/ethnicity, age, and sex, to rapid cartilage loss.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, osteoarthritis is a fairly common condition, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. Osteoarthritis involves a breaking down of cartilage in a joint. In severe cases, the cartilage can completely wear away, causing great pain and loss of mobility to sufferers.

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: obesity, cartilage loss

Posted By: Aspen Education Group