當運動減肥遇上關節擔憂

Overweight and obese people shouldn't put off regular physical exercise because of worries it could lead to osteoarthritis of the knees, according to a report in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. A study of overweight and obese people found their risk of knee osteoarthritis was significantly higher than normal-weight individuals but exercise didn't increase that risk. 《流行病學與公共衛生雜誌》(Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health)刊文稱，超重和肥胖人羣不應以可能導致膝關節骨性關節炎爲由，抗拒定期的體育鍛鍊。一項針對超重和肥胖人羣的研究發現，該類人羣罹患膝關節骨性關節炎的風險遠高於正常體重的人羣，但體育鍛煉並不會增大這種風險。

Previous studies examining the effects of recreational exercise on osteoarthritis risk have had mixed findings. Tim Bower以往也有過一些針對休閒運動是否會引發或增加骨性關節炎風險的研究，但結果莫衷一是。

Researchers analyzed osteoarthritis risk in nearly 30,000 Norwegian women and men enrolled in national health surveys from 1984 to 1997. Subjects were in their mid-40s and pain-free at the start. Just over a third of the participants exercised an hour or more per week and were considered physically active. Physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis was reported by the subjects. 研究人員對1984至1997年接受全國健康調查的近三萬挪威人進行了骨性關節炎風險分析。調查對象的年齡處於45歲上下，起初並無關節疼痛症狀。其中只有三分之一強的調查對象每週運動超過一個小時，被認爲屬於積極鍛鍊的人羣。調查對象均報告稱醫生診斷其患有骨性關節炎。 Risk of knee osteoarthritis was more than four times as high in obese men and women as normal-weight subjects over 11 years of follow-up, the study found. But there was no additional risk associated with exercise or exercise intensity for any body-mass-index category, the analysis showed. Hip osteoarthritis wasn't linked to either high BMI or exercise. 研究發現，在11年的跟蹤分析中，肥胖人羣（不分男女）罹患膝關節骨性關節炎的風險較正常體重的人羣高出四倍多。但分析顯示，按體質指數(BMI)劃分的任何一類人羣中，運動或運動強度均不會導致罹患骨性關節炎的風險增大。髖關節骨性關節炎與體質指數或運動強度均無直接關係。 Caveat: Information about types of exercise performed wasn't available. It is possible participation in high-impact sports can increase the risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis within all categories of BMI, researchers said. 警告：有關調查對象所進行的運動的類型不得而知。研究人員指出，不論體質指標是屬於哪一類的人羣，都仍有可能因爲進行高強度運動而導致罹患膝關節和髖關節骨性關節炎的風險增大。