French researchers state that patients who have stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should do cardio-respiratory aerobic exercise.

It was found by the team from the University of Grenoble Medical School in France that there was improved function, greater quality of life and less joint pain in RA patients who exercised regularly.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about one per cent of global population is affected by RA, a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by swollen joints, pain, stiffness, fatigue, and general malaise.

Fourteen studies were analysed by the team and 510 patients in the intervention group and 530 in the control group were included in meta-analysis. The RA duration of participants in these studies was 1-16 years and they had a mean age of 44-68 years.

The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), HRQL, pain using a visual analog scale (VAS) and joint count was compared by the researchers among patients in the studies.

Dr Athan Baillet said, "Our results show that patients with stable RA would benefit from regular aerobic exercise. Cardio-respiratory conditioning appears safe and its effects, while small, help to reduce joint pain and improve function.”