Obesity
Another risk factor of rheumatoid is obesity. This very common health condition would put excessive stress on affected tissues and joints. More importantly, the buildup of fatty cells in your body might lead to many inflammatory activities. Unlike other causes, obesity might trigger systemic inflammation. It stimulates the body to produce more cytokines, an inflammatory protein that would affect the joints in your feet, hips, and knees, thus causing significant pain and a loss of mobility in the long run. In addition, obesity would affect your capability of achieving remission, a state of low-disease activities in which inflammation can be controlled. Ideally, you should keep a BMI of no more than 30 to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. [4]
