High or Low Weight May Make Rheumatoid Arthritis Worse
Obesity can also reduce the effectiveness of RA drugs
Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs may work less effectively in individuals with RA who are obese than in individuals with a healthy weight; however, how exactly fat is associated with the activity of RA drugs is not entirely understood. “It could be that fat cells are able to produce many inflammatory proteins that can contribute and sustain the inflammatory process. A less-studied theory is that the fat cells may fix to monoclonal antibodies such as infliximab or adalimumab [Humira] and render them non-functional” said Eric Toussirot, rheumatology professor at the Clinical Investigation Center for Biotherapy at the University Hospital of Besancon in France.
