Rising arthritis rates may be linked to obesity epidemic

Obesity rates in the U.S. continue to climb. Now, a team of researchers is saying that this may be contributing to a rise in the number of people with arthritis. The findings suggest that a growing number of people may require a prescription to buy Celebrex to treat joint pain.

For the study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, examined more than 30 years' worth of medical records gathered from 1,600 participants. The results showed that individuals who were obese were significantly more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis during the study period.

The team pointed out in their report that the number of people with arthritis has increased in recent years. Findings from the present study indicated that obesity accounted for at least 52 percent of the growth in the number of people with arthritis.

Developing strategies for tackling the obesity epidemic may help contain rising arthritis rates. Helping people avoid excessive weight gain could enable many individuals to avoid joint problems, thus minimizing the likelihood of requiring a prescription to buy Celebrex.