Does body mass index impact pain in individuals with hand osteoarthritis?

In a study in Arthritis & Rheumatology of people with hand osteoarthritis, higher body mass index was associated with greater pain severity in the hands, feet, knees, and hips.

In the study of 281 patients, the 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).

"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.