Are those extra kilos putting your joints at risk?

Obese? You may want to start hitting the gym as according to a recent study, those extra kilos can up your arthritis risk.

A University of Pennsylvania study revealed that the adults with rheumatoid arthritis and obesity experienced more rapid progression of disability than patients who were overweight.

According to the study, the patients who lost weight tended to become disabled more quickly, especially in those who were already thin.

"We believe that this is because when people get older and acquire illnesses, they tend to lose weight. Therefore, the important weight loss in this study is unintentional. So, this study suggests that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and obesity would benefit from intentional weight loss through a comprehensive management strategy; however, when we see that someone is losing weight without trying, it's probably a poor prognostic sign, especially if they are already thin," said researcher Joshua Baker.

New therapies and approaches to weight loss are becoming available to people and the results will help promote their use in patients with arthritis, to help prevent disability over the long-term. It may also encourage health providers to recognize unintentional weight loss as a poor prognostic sign and refer patients for strength training, physical therapy, and other interventions to prevent disability.

The findings are published in the Journal of Arthritis Care & Research.