Extra body fat may help men avoid rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Swedish study.
Researchers found that men who are overweight may be at a slightly reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The trend was not seen among women.
Researchers from Malmo Lund University in Sweden set out to investigate the potential link. They used information on two long term health surveys covering 63,973 men and women. Of these, 187 men and 275 women were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Similar individuals who did not develop the condition were used as a comparison group.
For men only, being overweight or obese – a body mass index of 25kg/m2 or above – was linked to a reduced risk of later development of rheumatoid arthritis. The risk was reduced by about 63% in one survey and 40% in the other, even once smoking was taken into account. Obesity did not seem to be more protective than overweight.
Findings appear in the journal Rheumatology today (9 September).
"A high body mass index was associated with a reduced risk of future rheumatoid arthritis in men, but not in women."
They suggest that: "Factors related to adipose tissue may contribute to mechanisms that are protective from rheumatoid arthritis in men."
For example, lead author, Dr Carl Turesson, believes that a high body mass index more often reflects increased abdominal obesity or visceral fat in men compared with women. This pattern of fat storage, although thought to be risky for the heart, may be protective against rheumatoid arthritis due to its effect on hormones.
"Metabolic pathways related to the adipose tissue and hormone-related factors could have a protective effect against rheumatoid arthritis," says Dr Turesson.
Turesson, C. et al. A high body mass index is associated with reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis in men, but not in women. Rheumatology 9 September 2015; doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kev313
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