Obese and overweight people have another reason to shed extra weight: to prevent knee cartilage degeneration. In a new study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, it was found that obese people who lose a significant amount of weight can protect their knee cartilage from deteriorating.
Knee joint degeneration and obesity
Study lead author Dr Alexandra Gersing said that degenerative joint disease is one of the leading causes of of pain and disability among people. She further explained that once a patient with osteoarthritis loses a cartilage, the disease cannot be reversed. One of the major risk factors? Obesity.
Obesity affects over one-third of adults aged 60 years old and above. With the rising population of baby boomers and the unprecedented increase in obesity rates, knee osteoarthritis prevalence also follows suit.
The experiment
For a new study, the authors examined the relationship between the varying levels of weight loss and the development rate of knee cartilage degeneration among obese and overweight individuals.
The experiment involved 506 participants enrolled in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a national research body that targets the prevention and management of knee osteoarthritis.
The study subjects, who either had mild or moderate osteoarthritis or recognized risk factors, were classified into three categories. The first group was a control group comprised of participants who did not lose weight. The second group consisted of people who lost little weight, and the third group was made up of individuals with the most weight loss progress, or those who lost more than 10 percent of their body weight.
The participants then underwent a knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to measure the extent of knee osteoarthritis.
The results
The findings of the study showed that losing weight has protective effects against knee cartilage degeneration during a four-year span. The amount of benefits was also found to be more significant if the weight loss is larger.
People who lost five to 10 percent of body weight showed no significant differences in cartilage degeneration compared to those who did not lose weight at all.
What's next?
The authors plan to conduct an eight-year follow up study on the participants to see the effects of weight gain on knee joints.
They are also looking at investigating the role of diabetes in cartilage degeneration as the said endocrine disorder is closely related to obesity.
Expert advice
Losing weight proves to have many benefits. Aside from delaying knee joint deterioration, it also decreases the risk of osteoarthritis. This then warrants weight loss as a primary disease-fighting fundamental intervention, alongside moderate exercise. "It's most helpful if these lifestyle interventions take place as early as possible," said Gersing.
The study was presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting on Monday, Nov. 30.
Photo: Steven Depolo | Flickr
