lowering of BMI linked with slower worsening of knee osteoarthritis

A study was conducted to define the association between change in body mass index (BMI) and the incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis as assessed by radiography.

Radiographic analyses of knees at baseline and at 4 to 5 years of follow-up were obtained from three independent cohort studies: Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI); Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST); and Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK). Logistic regression analyses using generalised estimating equations, with clustering of both knees within individuals, were used to investigate the association between change in BMI from baseline to 4 to 5 years follow-up and the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis.

The results of the study are:

• A total of 9683 knees (from 5774 participants) in an 'incidence cohort' and 6075 knees (from 3988 participants) in a 'progression cohort' were investigated.
• Change in BMI was positively associated with both the incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis.
• The adjusted odds ratio for incidence was 1.05 and for progression was 1.05
• Changes in BMI were also positively associated with degeneration (i.e., narrowing) of joint space and decline of the femoral and tibial surfaces (as indicated by osteophytes) on the medial but not on the lateral side of the knee.

Thus, BMI decrease is independently associated with lower odds of onset and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis and could be a component in preventing the onset or worsening of knee osteoarthritis.

Reference:

Zubeyir Salis et al. Decrease in body mass index is associated with reduced incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis: a prospective multi-cohort study. 16 August 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.42307

Keywords:

Zubeyir Salis, Blanca Gallego, Tuan V. Nguyen, Amanda Sainsbury, Decrease, body, mass, the index associated, reduced, incidence, progression, structural, defects, knee, osteoarthritis, prospective multi-cohort study