Evaluating the role of weight loss in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: An audit of Osteoarthritis Healthy Weight For Life’s database
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obesity contributes to the onset and progression of osteoarthritis. This study assesses the influence of baseline body mass index (BMI) and baseline knee pain on improvements observed in patients undertaking a community-based weight loss program for knee osteoarthritis. METHOD: This study is a retrospective analysis of data from 9004 patients who took part in the Osteoarthritis Healthy Weight For Life program between January 2014 and July 2022. RESULTS: The greater the weight loss achieved, the greater the improvement in knee pain and function, with baseline weight having no effect on the magnitude of the outcome. All patients with a starting Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score of <75 experienced significant improvement in their symptoms. Patients with more severe starting pain saw greater improvements. DISCUSSION: Baseline BMI has no effect on the amount of weight loss required to produce a meaningful improvement in osteoarthritis symptoms. Patients with more severe baseline knee pain see more improvement than those with milder symptoms for the same weight loss.
Institution: John Hunter Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4405028875