Mayo Clinic Logo Almost every other disease seems to falling under obesity’s inflammatory maneuver, at least that’s what we come up with each day. According to a team from Mayo Clinic, there is apparently a painful link between obesity and rheumatoid arthritis.

As part of the study, medical records between 1980 and 2007 were examined. Nearly 813 patients of rheumatoid arthritis were pitted against the same number of controls. All habits such as smoking along with their BMIs were observed. The outcomes showed that approximately 52% of the increase in arthritis cases was seemingly associated with obesity.

“We know that fat tissues and cells produce substances that are active in inflammation and immunity. We know too that obesity is related to many other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes, and now perhaps to autoimmunity. It adds another reason to reduce and prevent obesity in the general population,” commented co-author Eric Matteson, M.D., chair of the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

However, the investigators did not have a valid explanation for this correlation between obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking is also regarded as a causal factor for arthritis, however it is something that has been established over the years. Considering that there is an inflammatory attack on the joints of patients with this condition, it could be related to obesity. After examining the medical data, it appears that obesity may put women at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

The analysis is published in the recent issue of Arthritis Care and Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.