Research shows six new strategies for managing arthritis in 2025: targeting specific uric acid levels for gout, combining diet with exercise for hip pain (more effective than exercise alone), increasing daily walking steps to prevent knee arthritis, treating pain beyond the joints in rheumatoid arthritis, using metformin for knee pain, and choosing colchicine over NSAIDs when starting gout treatment. According to Gram Research analysis, these evidence-based approaches help doctors provide better care for millions with arthritis.
According to Gram Research analysis, doctors treating arthritis and joint pain have six important new findings to help their patients feel better. These discoveries cover gout management, weight loss benefits for hip pain, walking’s effect on knee arthritis, pain beyond the joints in rheumatoid arthritis, a diabetes drug that helps knees, and the best way to prevent gout attacks. Internal medicine doctors—often the first doctors patients see with joint problems—can now use these evidence-based strategies to improve care for millions of people dealing with arthritis and related conditions.
Key Statistics
A 2025 review in Annals of Internal Medicine identified six key studies showing that combining a very-low-calorie diet with exercise produces better results for hip arthritis pain than exercise alone.
Research reviewed in 2025 found that metformin, a diabetes medication, showed promise in improving knee pain, stiffness, and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
A 2025 analysis revealed that purposeful walking step counts are associated with reduced incidence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
According to 2025 research, colchicine may be more effective than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for preventing gout exacerbations when initiating urate-lowering therapy.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: A review of six important research studies from 2025 about treating common joint and arthritis conditions that regular doctors see every day
- Who participated: The review analyzed studies involving patients with gout, osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis), and rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune type of arthritis)
- Key finding: Six separate studies revealed new ways to manage arthritis: targeting uric acid levels for gout, combining diet and exercise for hip pain, tracking daily steps for knee arthritis, addressing whole-body pain in rheumatoid arthritis, using metformin for knee pain, and choosing the right medication to prevent gout attacks
- What it means for you: If you have arthritis or gout, your doctor now has better evidence-based strategies to help reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about whether these approaches might work for your specific condition
The Research Details
This is a review article that summarizes six important research studies published in 2025 about rheumatic diseases—conditions affecting joints, bones, and connective tissues. The authors selected studies that are particularly relevant to internal medicine doctors, who are often the first physicians patients see with arthritis symptoms. Rather than conducting new research themselves, the reviewers analyzed existing studies to identify practical insights that can help doctors make better treatment decisions.
The six studies covered different aspects of arthritis care: how to manage gout by controlling uric acid levels, whether combining diet and exercise works better than exercise alone for hip arthritis, whether walking more prevents knee arthritis, how pain beyond the joints affects people with rheumatoid arthritis, whether metformin (a diabetes medication) helps knee arthritis, and which medication best prevents gout attacks when starting uric acid-lowering treatment.
This type of review is valuable because it helps busy doctors stay current with the latest evidence without having to read every new study individually. By summarizing key findings, the review makes it easier for doctors to apply new knowledge to patient care.
Internal medicine doctors see arthritis patients regularly but may not specialize in rheumatology (the specialty focused on joint diseases). This review helps these doctors understand the latest treatment strategies so they can provide better care or know when to refer patients to specialists. The studies reviewed represent real advances in how doctors manage common conditions like gout and osteoarthritis that affect millions of people.
This review was published in Annals of Internal Medicine, a highly respected medical journal. The authors selected six specific studies from 2025 that met their criteria for relevance to general internal medicine practice. Because this is a review of other studies rather than original research, its strength depends on the quality of the studies it summarizes. The review focuses on practical findings that doctors can use in everyday practice, which increases its real-world value.
What the Results Show
The review identified six key findings from 2025 research. First, a treat-to-target strategy for gout—where doctors aim to lower uric acid to specific levels—appears effective for managing this painful condition. Second, combining a very-low-calorie diet with exercise works better than exercise alone for reducing hip arthritis pain and improving function. Third, people who take more purposeful walking steps appear less likely to develop symptomatic knee arthritis. Fourth, pain that occurs outside the joints (like muscle pain and fatigue) significantly affects quality of life in people with early rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting doctors should address these symptoms too.
The fifth finding showed that metformin, a common diabetes medication, showed promise in improving knee pain, stiffness, and how well the knee functions in people with knee osteoarthritis. This is interesting because it suggests a medication used for one condition might help another. Sixth, when doctors start urate-lowering therapy for gout, using colchicine (an anti-inflammatory medication) may be better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for preventing gout attacks during the initial treatment phase.
These findings collectively suggest that arthritis management is moving toward more personalized approaches that address multiple aspects of the disease, not just joint inflammation.
Beyond the main findings, the review highlights that internal medicine doctors play a crucial role in managing rheumatic conditions before patients see specialists. The studies suggest that lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) remain foundational treatments for osteoarthritis, that monitoring daily activity levels may help prevent arthritis progression, and that doctors should screen for and treat pain beyond the joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The review also indicates that existing medications may have benefits doctors haven’t fully recognized—like metformin for arthritis—suggesting doctors should consider all available options for their patients.
These 2025 findings build on decades of arthritis research. The treat-to-target approach for gout represents an evolution of previous gout management strategies. The diet-plus-exercise finding for hip arthritis confirms what many doctors suspected but now have stronger evidence for. The connection between non-joint pain and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis represents a shift toward more holistic patient care. The metformin finding is newer and suggests researchers are discovering unexpected benefits of existing medications. Overall, these studies show arthritis care is becoming more evidence-based and personalized.
As a review article, this summary is only as strong as the individual studies it covers. The review doesn’t provide detailed information about how many patients were in each study or how long they were followed. Some findings (like metformin for knee arthritis) showed ‘promise’ rather than definitive proof, meaning more research is needed. The review focuses on studies relevant to internal medicine doctors, so it may not include all 2025 arthritis research. Individual patients may respond differently to these treatments, so what works in research studies may vary in real-world practice.
The Bottom Line
If you have gout, work with your doctor to target specific uric acid levels (moderate confidence). If you have hip arthritis, combining a structured diet with exercise offers better results than exercise alone (moderate-to-strong confidence). If you have knee arthritis, increasing daily walking steps may help prevent worsening (moderate confidence). If you have rheumatoid arthritis, discuss with your doctor whether treating pain beyond the joints should be part of your care plan (moderate confidence). Ask your doctor whether metformin might help knee arthritis in your case (low-to-moderate confidence, as this is newer). If you’re starting gout treatment, discuss with your doctor whether colchicine or NSAIDs is better for preventing attacks during the initial phase (moderate confidence).
These findings are most relevant for people with gout, osteoarthritis (especially hip and knee), and rheumatoid arthritis. Internal medicine doctors and rheumatologists should use these insights when treating patients. People with other types of arthritis should discuss with their doctors whether any of these approaches might apply to their condition. If you’re overweight with hip arthritis, the diet-plus-exercise finding is particularly relevant for you.
For gout management with uric acid targeting, you may see improvement in attack frequency within weeks to months. For hip arthritis with diet and exercise, meaningful pain reduction typically takes 8-12 weeks. For knee arthritis prevention through walking, benefits may take months to become apparent. For rheumatoid arthritis pain management, addressing non-joint symptoms may improve quality of life within weeks. For metformin’s effects on knee arthritis, benefits typically emerge over several weeks to months. Be patient with these approaches—arthritis management is usually a long-term process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to manage gout pain according to recent research?
A 2025 review found that targeting specific uric acid levels (treat-to-target strategy) effectively manages gout. Additionally, colchicine appears more effective than NSAIDs for preventing gout attacks when starting urate-lowering therapy. Discuss these approaches with your doctor.
Can diet and exercise really help hip arthritis pain?
Yes. A 2025 study showed that combining a very-low-calorie diet with exercise produces significantly better results for hip arthritis than exercise alone. This combination approach reduces pain and improves how well your hip functions.
Does walking help prevent knee arthritis from getting worse?
Research from 2025 suggests that purposeful walking—tracking your daily steps—is associated with lower rates of symptomatic knee arthritis. Increasing your daily activity appears protective, though you should consult your doctor about appropriate activity levels for your situation.
Is metformin only for diabetes or can it help arthritis?
A 2025 study found that metformin, traditionally used for diabetes, showed promise in improving knee pain, stiffness, and function in knee osteoarthritis patients. This suggests the medication may have benefits beyond blood sugar control, though more research is needed.
Why do rheumatoid arthritis patients have pain beyond their joints?
Recent research shows that non-joint pain—like muscle pain and fatigue—significantly affects quality of life in early rheumatoid arthritis. This whole-body pain is part of the disease process, and doctors should screen for and treat these symptoms alongside joint inflammation.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track daily step count (purposeful walking) and correlate with knee pain levels weekly. Users can set a target step count based on their baseline and gradually increase it while monitoring pain changes
- Set a daily step goal starting 10% above your current average, increasing by 5% weekly. Log your hip or knee pain level each evening on a 1-10 scale. If combining diet changes with exercise for hip arthritis, use the app to track both calorie intake and exercise minutes daily
- Create a monthly report comparing step counts to arthritis pain levels. For gout patients, track uric acid test results and gout attack frequency. For rheumatoid arthritis patients, monitor both joint pain and non-joint symptoms (fatigue, muscle pain) separately to see how addressing whole-body symptoms affects overall quality of life
This review summarizes research findings for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. The studies reviewed represent current evidence, but individual results vary. If you have gout, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other joint conditions, consult your doctor or rheumatologist before making changes to your treatment plan. Some findings (particularly metformin for arthritis) are newer and require further research. This article is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.