Effect of exercise and weight loss in people who have hip osteoarthritis and are overweight or obese: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the world and is recognized as a substantial source of disability. For people with OA of the knee, exercise in combination with weight loss is a proven, effective, conservative treatment option, yet evidence is lacking for people with hip OA.

Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary evidence of the effect of a program of exercise in combination with weight loss on physical function in people who have hip OA and are overweight or obese.

Design: This investigation was a prospective cohort study.

Methods: Thirty-five people who were 25 years or older, had clinical and radiological evidence of hip OA, and were overweight or obese (body mass index of >25 kg/m(2)) were included. They participated in an 8-month program of exercise in combination with weight loss. A body mass index of 40 kg/m(2) was used as the upper limit. The primary outcome was self-reported physical function, as measured with a subscale of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Secondary outcome measures included pain and walking tests as quantitative measures of function.

Results: Participation in the combination program resulted in a 32.6% improvement in self-reported physical function after 8 months, a finding that could be considered clinically relevant. Significant improvements also were seen in pain and on walking tests.

Limitations: The lack of a control group was a limitation of this study.

Conclusions: This appears to be the first study investigating the effect of exercise and weight loss as a combination treatment in people with hip OA. The results provide preliminary evidence that this combination treatment is effective in people with hip OA.