For many people living with psoriatic arthritis, managing the disease means finding the right medication to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. But what if treating obesity could also help improve arthritis?
That’s the question explored in a new editorial published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. Arthritis Research Canada scientist Dr. Lihi Eder and co-authors Dr. Rebecca Haberman and Dr. Jose Scher found that growing evidence suggests obesity should be viewed as more than just a common health condition that often occurs alongside psoriatic arthritis. Instead, it could be an important part of treating the disease itself.
The editorial discusses the findings of the recent TOGETHER-PsA clinical trial, which looked at whether adding a weight-loss medication to standard arthritis treatment could improve outcomes for people living with psoriatic arthritis who are overweight or obese.
The trial found that people who received both the weight management medication tirzepatide and the biologic therapy ixekizumab experienced greater improvements than those who received arthritis treatment alone.
However, the findings also show that weight loss does not tell the whole story. While most patients taking tirzepatide lost a meaningful amount of weight (84.5 per cent lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight), this did not always lead to improvements in psoriatic arthritis symptoms. This suggests that the connection between weight loss and arthritis is complex, and that excess body fat may not be the main factor driving psoriatic arthritis activity.
“Obesity has been viewed as something that happens alongside psoriatic arthritis,” said Dr. Eder. “This research suggests it may play a much bigger role. By treating obesity alongside inflammation, we may also help people also treat their arthritis.”
Rather than replacing existing arthritis medications, weight-loss therapies could become an additional treatment option for some. Further research is needed to identify which patients are most likely to benefit, and determine how these therapies can be safely and effectively used alongside existing arthritis treatments.
You can find related research on weight loss medications and psoriatic arthritis here.
