Weight change and longitudinal disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a real-world cohort study
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether weight change during routine clinical care is associated with DAS28-CRP trajectories in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with obesity. METHODS: ) were included. Regression-based percentage weight change over observed follow-up was estimated for each patient using all available weight measurements. Outcomes were repeated DAS28-CRP, DAS28-CRP components, remission (DAS28-CRP<2.6) and low disease activity (≤3.2). Mixed-effects models estimated weight change-by-time interactions with prespecified adjustment. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Sensitivity analyses included categorical weight-change modelling, a 6-month landmark design, and censoring at DMARD change. RESULTS: and obesity was class I in 76 (71.7%). The weight-change-by-time interaction for DAS28-CRP was close to null (-0.004 units/year per 5% weight change, 95% CI: -0.026 to 0.018). Weight change was not associated with changes over time in the odds of remission (interaction OR: 1.01 per 5%, 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.06) or low disease activity (interaction OR: 1.00 per 5%, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.07), and no signal was observed for DAS28-CRP components.. Sensitivity analyses were consistent (weight loss≥5% vs. stable: +0.021 units/year, 95% CI: -0.076 to 0.119; weight gain≥5% vs. stable: -0.003 units/year, 95% CI: -0.158 to 0.153). CONCLUSIONS: In RA with predominantly class I obesity, we did not observe a clear association between routine clinical care weight change and improved inflammatory disease activity. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the modest sample size and limited precision, and small clinically meaningful effects cannot be excluded.
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BibTeX
@article{salis2026weight,
title = {{Weight change and longitudinal disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a real-world cohort study}},
author = {Zübeyir Salis and Léopold Durand and Jacques Morel and Cédric Lukas and Claire Immediato Daien},
journal = {Joint Bone Spine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.jbspin.2026.106143},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05756446v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Weight change and longitudinal disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a real-world cohort study
AU - Zübeyir Salis
AU - Léopold Durand
AU - Jacques Morel
AU - Cédric Lukas
AU - Claire Immediato Daien
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - Joint Bone Spine
DO - 10.1016/j.jbspin.2026.106143
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05756446v1
AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether weight change during routine clinical care is associated with DAS28-CRP trajectories in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with obesity. METHODS: ) were included. Regression-based percentage weight change over observed follow-up was estimated for each patient using all available weight measurements. Outcomes were repeated DAS28-CRP, DAS28-CRP components, remission (DAS28-CRP<2.6) and low disease activity (≤3.2). Mixed-effects models estimated weight change-by-time interactions with prespecified adjustment. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Sensitivity analyses included categorical weight-change modelling, a 6-month landmark design, and censoring at DMARD change. RESULTS: and obesity was class I in 76 (71.7%). The weight-change-by-time interaction for DAS28-CRP was close to null (-0.004 units/year per 5% weight change, 95% CI: -0.026 to 0.018). Weight change was not associated with changes over time in the odds of remission (interaction OR: 1.01 per 5%, 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.06) or low disease activity (interaction OR: 1.00 per 5%, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.07), and no signal was observed for DAS28-CRP components.. Sensitivity analyses were consistent (weight loss≥5% vs. stable: +0.021 units/year, 95% CI: -0.076 to 0.119; weight gain≥5% vs. stable: -0.003 units/year, 95% CI: -0.158 to 0.153). CONCLUSIONS: In RA with predominantly class I obesity, we did not observe a clear association between routine clinical care weight change and improved inflammatory disease activity. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the modest sample size and limited precision, and small clinically meaningful effects cannot be excluded.
SN - 1297-319X
ER -