Effects of Exercise on Body Composition and Physical Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, an adverse change in body composition, which usually results in muscle wasting and increased fat mass, is high, contributing to increased functional disability. There are indications that resistance and dynamic exercise interventions could improve body composition and functional capacity in RA patients and should be recommended to manage RA. PURPOSE: The scoping literature review aimed to analyze available literature about the effects of exercise on body composition in RA patients. Secondly to identify the contribution of exercise to improve physical function in RA patients, thirdly to identify gaps in the literature about physical exercises and health outcomes in RA patients, and make recommendations for future research. METHODS: A scoping literature review design was employed following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A systematic search of three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus) for studies published from 2012 to 2022 was conducted. The words searched include “exercise intervention” AND “body fat” OR “muscle wasting” OR “lean body mass” AND “functional ability” OR “health assessments”. The search strategy was limited to studies published in English on RA patients and exercise interventions. RESULTS: This search yielded 2693 studies, of which 11 met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. The findings showed significant, positive effects of exercise interventions on RA patients’ body composition and functional capacity, with exercise being highly beneficial. It is evident that high-intensity resistance exercise, as a stand-alone intervention, is feasible and safe for managing RA conditions. CONCLUSION: Physical exercises, following scientific guidelines, should be included as an integrated approach to managing RA conditions.