Is Obesity Causing a Rise in Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Women?

Rheumatoid arthritis may soon be added to the growing list of health risks associated with obesity. According to a recent Mayo Clinic study, women with a history of obesity are at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis... “The data suggests a significant portion of rheumatoid arthritis cases could be due to obesity,” says study author Dr. John Davis, a rheumatology consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “Unless we are able to change the course of the obesity epidemic, we can expect to see a rise in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis.”

Additional coverage: Arthritis Today