Obesity Linked to Increase of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women

Obesity is becoming more common. So is rheumatoid arthritis. Could there be a connection? According to Mayo Clinic researchers, in a study published in the April 2012 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, the answer to that question is yes -- for women.

To study the potential link between obesity and rheumatoid arthritis, Mayo Clinic researchers looked at medical records used in the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Researchers compared 813 adults with rheumatoid arthritis to 813 without. It was determined that rheumatoid arthritis cases increased by 9.2 per 100,000 women from 1985-2007. Obesity was linked to 52% of the increase.

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