Ann Intern Med

Weight loss diet plus exercise improves function but not pain in hip osteoarthritis

August 6, 2025

Study details: This community-based, two-group superiority trial (NCT04825483) enrolled 101 adults with hip osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity. Participants received a 6-month home exercise program via five telehealth consultations. The intervention group also received a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) through six telehealth sessions. The primary outcome was change in hip pain severity at 6 months, measured on an 11-point scale. Secondary outcomes included other pain measures, physical function, quality of life, body composition, and adverse events.

Results: At 6 months, VLCD plus exercise led to 8.5% greater weight loss than exercise alone but didn't significantly improve hip pain severity (mean difference −0.6 units; 95% confidence interval, −1.5 to 0.3). Most secondary outcomes favored VLCD plus exercise at 6 months, except Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) pain and function. By 12 months, improvements in weight, BMI, HOOS pain and function, and overall hip improvement favored the VLCD group. No serious related adverse events occurred.

Clinical impact: Adding a VLCD to exercise didn't meet the threshold for clinically meaningful hip pain reduction but yielded functional and metabolic benefits, supporting its use in holistic osteoarthritis care.

Source:

Hall M, et al. (2025, August 5). Ann Intern Med. Efficacy of a Very-Low-Calorie Weight Loss Diet Plus Exercise Compared With Exercise Alone on Hip Osteoarthritis Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40759020/