Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) causes the body’s immune system to attack the tissues of its joints and various organs. Along with joint stiffness, pain, and swelling, this condition can also affect your body weight. Hence, RA patients must maintain a healthy weight to manage their symptoms and improve their overall quality of life. You can consult a medical doctor (MD) and a registered dietitian (RD) to develop customized weight loss programs in Ontario, Canada. They can help in healthy weight management to reduce your RA symptoms.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Relation to Obesity and Weight Loss
RA can affect your body weight in various ways. Obesity can be the cause and the result of RA. Additionally, RA can also result in unintentional weight loss.
Obesity as a cause of RA
Your body fat or adipose tissues release signalling protein cytokines called adipokines. Some of these hormones can affect glucose metabolism, while others play critical roles in your immune system and managing your appetite. Excess fat tissues release higher levels of cytokines, causing inflammation throughout your body. As a result, they can worsen your existing joint inflammation.
Additionally, obesity can also lead to other health issues. Inflammatory cytokines can cause insulin resistance, leading to Type 2 diabetes. Besides, inflammation can also be responsible for plaque buildup in the arteries of RA patients. It narrows blood vessels, limits blood flow, and increases the likelihood of heart attack and stroke. Hence, healthy weight management is critical to reducing the risk of these health issues and managing your symptoms.
Obesity as a result of RA
Doctors usually advise RA patients who are also obese to shed a few pounds. However, the inflamed, stiff, and painful joints make it quite challenging to exercise properly and, by extension, act as an obstacle to weight loss. Further, RA medications, due to their water-retention properties, can also cause weight gain.
Unintentional weight loss as a result of RA
Losing weight, especially if you are obese, has various health benefits in terms of reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, including various forms of arthritis. However, unexplained weight loss in RA patients can be a matter of concern.
The inflammatory cytokines responsible for affecting your joints can also cause muscle wasting, a condition called Rheumatoid Cachexia. You may lose or gain weight while experiencing muscle wasting.
Besides the cellular level changes, there can be other possible causes of weight loss in RA patients. This health concern can cause poor appetite, leading to weight loss.
RA medications can also be responsible for causing weight loss. Patients who take the anti-rheumatoid drug leflunomide are at a higher risk of losing weight compared to patients who take medications such as methotrexate or prednisone.
Leflunomide is associated with common side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and indigestion. All these can lead to significant weight loss. On the other hand, methotrexate and prednisone can possibly cause weight gain.
Understandably, both types of medicine have their effects on your body weight, albeit differently. In such conditions, once medications begin helping you manage your painful RA symptoms, you can follow a healthy diet and include exercise in your daily routine to manage your weight better.
Importance of Healthy Weight Management in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
While a healthy amount of weight loss in obese or overweight RA patients might prove to be beneficial, excess of it due to suppressed appetite or increased muscle loss can lead to weakness. Further, reduced muscle mass will cause the body to rely more on joints during physical movements, making them inflamed and weak. As a result, chronic inflammation, poor calcium absorption due to certain RA medications, and genetics – can all contribute to increased risk of fracture and development of osteoporosis.
Managing a healthy weight can offer the following benefits to RA patients
- Pain alleviation
- Improved joint function
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved sleep
- Reduced risk of chronic health issues
Can Modest Medix Help Manage Healthy Weight And Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms?
The first step to managing a healthy weight is to talk to your doctor to develop an action plan for controlling your RA symptoms. Bringing pain and inflammation within control can help you move more and get regular exercises to support your other weight loss efforts.
At Modest Medix, you’re your MD and RD will offer the needed medical help to lose weight. We will help develop a structured meal plan based on your specific health needs and guide you on effective portion control to manage a healthy weight. If needed, we will also suggest exercises as per your body’s endurance level to manage your weight and symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Whether your obesity is a cause or result of RA, our customized weight management programs will help you achieve better health and functional outcomes.
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