Obesity has a protective effect on radiographic joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis

Obesity is a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that predisposes people to several diseases and that is increasingly prevalent. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is marked by the presence of proinflammatory cytokines and, in general, the presence of high levels of inflammatory markers is associated with a severe disease course and joint damage. To assess the impact of obesity on disease activity, quality of life and articular damage in patients with established RA. Between July 2009 to December 2009, 119 RA patients were included and divided in two groups according to the body mass index (obeses and controls). RA activity was assessed by the Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28, quality of life by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and radiographic joint damage by the modified Sharp score. Obesity was not correlated with worsen RA activity (p=0.71) nor quality of life impairment (p=0.51). The obese group had a lower modified Sharp score than the control group (64.97versus113.64; p < 0.032) and this association remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, disease activity, extraarticular manifestations, comorbidities, presence of rheumatoid factor, and disease duration. Obesity does not have an impact on disease activity nor changes in quality of life, but it has a protective effect on the amount of joint destruction in established rheumatoid arthritis.