According to a study published online in the journal Radiology, patients with high body mass index (BMI) who lose weight may slow the progression of knee cartilage degeneration. 

The research team reviewed data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative on 640 overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) participants, with risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA) or mild to moderate radiographic findings of OA. Patients were assessed via Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) at baseline and 48 months, and categorized into three groups based on weight loss. Compared with patients in the stable weight cohort (n = 320), the research team found that the adjusted mean increase of cartilage WORMS was smaller in the 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss cohort (n = 238) and smallest in the > 10 percent weight loss cohort (n = 82). Learn more...