Obesity Protects Men from Rheumatoid Arthritis Save

Researchers from Malmo, Sweden have analyzed data from 383 patients, taken from two population based health surveys with a total of 50,705 participants, and found there is a strong association between a high BMI in men and a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, this association was not found in women.

After adjusting for smoking, men with a BMI over 25kg/m2 were estimated to be 40-63% less likely to develop RA. Why this is preferentially seen in men is unclear but the authors suggested that a high BMI more often reflects increased abdominal obesity or visceral fat in men compared with women, which could be protective against the development of RA. (Citation source: http://buff.ly/1JUEdAq)