Study on Exercise and Sarcopenia in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis and age are usually associated with high sarcopenia risk. Exercise is an effective treatment for preventing muscle mass loss in older adult populations. Sarcopenia is characterized by loss of muscle strength and mass, leading to falls and adverse health outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether exercise affects muscle mass in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis. Chun-De Liao and team found that exercise reduced the risk of developing sarcopenia in elderly patients and therapy effectively increased muscle mass in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The study has been published in Clinical Rehabilitation.

Objective of the Study

The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of exercise therapy in muscle mass gain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and identify the moderators of treatment efficacy on muscle mass gain.

Methodology

The study was conducted according to the guidelines recommended by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the effects of exercise on muscle mass for rheumatoid arthritis were identified. The included RCTs were subject to meta-analysis and risk of bias assessment. Subgroup and random-effects meta-regression analyses were performed to identify any heterogeneity (I²) of treatment effects across studies.

Results

• Nine RCTs with a median PEDro score of 6/10 (range: 4/10–8/10).
• The weighted mean effect size for muscle mass was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.30–1.24; P = 0.001; I² = 77%).
• Meta-regression analyses indicated that the disease duration significantly explained variance of treatment effects across studies (β = −0.006, R² = 69.7%, P = 0.005).

Liao and team concluded that "Exercise therapy effectively increased muscle mass in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment effects may be attenuated in those who have had rheumatoid arthritis for a relatively long time."

For further information: https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155211035539