Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a breakdown of the cartilage inside the joints. Cartilage is the firm cushion found between the two bones to stop them from grating against each other. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes brittle and erodes away, leading to inflammation, stiffness and pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but usually begins in people between the ages of 20 and 45. This condition is more common in older people, but children also can develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or Still's disease.
Both obesity and rheumatoid arthritis involve hormonal changes, but it's not fully understood how obesity affects the risk of autoimmune diseases. One study of 349 people with rheumatoid arthritis and 1457 people without the disease suggested that women with a higher body mass index might be more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis (Voigt et al. 1994).
Overweight patients with early rheumatoid arthritis were less likely to achieve remission during treatment with conventional disease-modifying drugs than were those with a normal body mass index, a new study from Finland found.
Reducing obesity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis may improve quality of life according to researchers who found that obesity was independently associated with impaired quality of life in RA patients
Excess weight also strains joints and may contribute to the breakdown of joint tissue during rheumatoid arthritis, therefore increasing the severity of the symptoms.
People who are overweight also have an increased risk for other kinds of arthritis.
Using a VLCD to instigate weight loss would be of great help to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as a VLCD will provide a complete spectrum of micro nutrients and amino acids, this will contribute greatly to regeneration of joint tissue and cartilage.