ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

  • Meetings
    • ACR Convergence 2024
    • ACR Convergence 2023
    • 2023 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • ACR Convergence 2022
    • ACR Convergence 2021
    • ACR Convergence 2020
    • 2020 ACR/ARP PRSYM
    • 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
    • 2018-2009 Meetings
    • Download Abstracts
  • Keyword Index
  • Advanced Search
  • Your Favorites
    • Favorites
    • Login
    • View and print all favorites
    • Clear all your favorites
  • ACR Meetings

Abstract Number: 1908

Bariatric Surgery Does Not Affect the Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Obese Subjects

Yuan Zhang1, Cristina Maglio2, Anna Rudin3 and Lena Carlsson4, 1Dep. of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2Dep. of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research and Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, 3Dept of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden, 4Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

Meeting: 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Keywords: longitudinal studies, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and weight loss

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Session Information

Date: Monday, October 22, 2018

Title: 4M101 ACR Abstract: Epidemiology & Pub Health II: RA Risk: Education, Obesity, Smoking, or Biomarkers? (1905–1910)

Session Type: ACR Concurrent Abstract Session

Session Time: 4:30PM-6:00PM

Background/Purpose: Obesity is among the risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment to achieve weight loss and to prevent obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes1. Bariatric surgery-induced weight loss in subjects with RA has been associated with a lower disease activity, a decrease in inflammatory markers and a lower use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs2. However, the effect of bariatric surgery on the prevention of RA is not known. We have previously shown that bariatric surgery reduces the risk of gouty arthritis and psoriasis in obese subjects3,4. By exploiting a longitudinal study enrolling more than 4000 obese subjects, we aim to determine if bariatric surgery prevents the incidence of RA.

Methods: The Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study is a longitudinal controlled trial on the effect of bariatric surgery on the incidence of obesity-related diseases. It includes 4047 obese subjects: 2010 underwent bariatric surgery and 2037 constituted the matched control group. Seven Swedish local ethics review boards approved the study protocol. SOS study participants who developed RA were identified by searching the Swedish National Patient Register. Eleven subjects with prevalent RA at baseline are excluded by the analyses. Patients were followed up until diagnosis of RA, death, migration or end of follow-up (December 2016).

Results: During a follow up for up to 29 years, 92 subjects developed RA. Fifty-one individuals (55%) had a seropositive RA. Forty-seven subjects (2.3%) developed RA in the surgery group compared to 45 subjects (2.2%) in the control group. Bariatric surgery was not associated with the incidence of RA during follow up (log-rank P=0.88; unadjusted Hazard Ratio-HR 1.03, 95% Confidence Interval-CI 0.69-1.55, P=0.88, Figure 1). Similar results were obtained if only subjects with seropositive RA were included in the analysis. Adjustment for confounding factors did not affect the results (HR for bariatric surgery after adjustment for confounding factors 0.95, 95% CI 0.60-1.50, P=0.82). Smoking habit, as well as baseline serum levels of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, but not female sex or body-mass index, were associated with the risk of developing RA in this obese population.

Conclusion: In a large cohort of obese subjects followed up for up to 29 years, bariatric surgery does not affect the incidence of RA years.

References:

1.Sjostrom L. J Intern Med 2013;273:219-34.

2.Sparks JA, et al. 2015;67:1619-26.

3.Maglio C, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2016.

4. Maglio C, et al. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2017;25:2068-73.

 

Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of RA in the SOS study.

Abbreviations: HR, hazard ratio; C.I., confidence interval.

 


Disclosure: Y. Zhang, None; C. Maglio, None; A. Rudin, None; L. Carlsson, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Zhang Y, Maglio C, Rudin A, Carlsson L. Bariatric Surgery Does Not Affect the Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Obese Subjects [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 9). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/bariatric-surgery-does-not-affect-the-incidence-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-obese-subjects/. Accessed .
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

« Back to 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/bariatric-surgery-does-not-affect-the-incidence-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-in-obese-subjects/

Advanced Search

Your Favorites

You can save and print a list of your favorite abstracts during your browser session by clicking the “Favorite” button at the bottom of any abstract. View your favorites »

All abstracts accepted to ACR Convergence are under media embargo once the ACR has notified presenters of their abstract’s acceptance. They may be presented at other meetings or published as manuscripts after this time but should not be discussed in non-scholarly venues or outlets. The following embargo policies are strictly enforced by the ACR.

Accepted abstracts are made available to the public online in advance of the meeting and are published in a special online supplement of our scientific journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology. Information contained in those abstracts may not be released until the abstracts appear online. In an exception to the media embargo, academic institutions, private organizations, and companies with products whose value may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release to coincide with the availability of an ACR abstract on the ACR website. However, the ACR continues to require that information that goes beyond that contained in the abstract (e.g., discussion of the abstract done as part of editorial news coverage) is under media embargo until 10:00 AM ET on November 14, 2024. Journalists with access to embargoed information cannot release articles or editorial news coverage before this time. Editorial news coverage is considered original articles/videos developed by employed journalists to report facts, commentary, and subject matter expert quotes in a narrative form using a variety of sources (e.g., research, announcements, press releases, events, etc.).

Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the meeting and other measures deemed appropriate. Authors are responsible for notifying colleagues, institutions, communications firms, and all other stakeholders related to the development or promotion of the abstract about this policy. If you have questions about the ACR abstract embargo policy, please contact ACR abstracts staff at [email protected].

Wiley

  • Online Journal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Permissions Policies
  • Cookie Preferences

© Copyright 2025 American College of Rheumatology