Description: Even for the overweight, regular moderate exercise does not hasten or delay the onset of osteoarthritis of the knee in older individuals, new research reveals.

The finding undercuts the notion that exercise might have a protective effect against osteoarthritis. However, at the same time, it suggests that those already burdened with an elevated risk, such as overweight seniors, can safely remain active.

"There was fear that weight-bearing exercise among overweight people might put the very people who need it most at risk of getting knee arthritis and knee pain, but this study suggests that is not the case," said study author Dr. David T. Felson, chief of Boston University's Clinical Epidemiology Research Training Unit. "There shouldn't be any concern."

The findings are published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

According to the National Institutes of Health, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the U