In a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, people with hand osteoarthritis, higher body mass index was associated with greater pain severity in the hands, feet, knees, and hips.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most debilitating joint disorders worldwide, affecting up to 10% of men and 13% of women. Osteoarthritis is characterised by a progressive onset of joint damage, commonly associated with pain. Joints commonly affected include the knee, hip and hand. Various stressors, risk factors and genetics may predispose an individual to developing osteoarthritis in a particular joint.
In a study of 281 patients, researchers noted that observed associations of body mass index with hand pain and total body joint pain seemed to involve certain inflammatory markers (leptin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, respectively).
The researchers suggest that systemic effects of obesity, measured by leptin, could have a larger mediating role for pain in hands than in lower extremities. Low-grade inflammation, measured by hs-CRP, may contribute to generalised pain in overweight or obese individuals.
“Our results highlight the complexity of pain in hand osteoarthritis. Obesity is not only leading to pain through increased loading of joints in the lower extremities, but seems to have systemic effects leading to pain in the hands and overall body,” said lead author Marthe Gløersen, MD, of Diakonhjemmet Hospital, in Norway.
Source: Wiley
