London, July 30 (IANS): High-intensity exercise may help ease symptoms of arthritis, a chronic disease that causes inflammation in the joints, says a new study.

Patients with arthritis often have reduced endurance and are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

"This is why it is especially important for arthritis patients to keep fit and work on their cardiovascular endurance," said one of the researchers Anja Bye from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The study involved 18 women between the ages of 20-49.

Twenty sessions of hard training on a spinning bike was conducted for ten weeks.

The results showed a tendency to have less inflammation and the participants also experienced significant increase in maximum oxygen intake, meaning that they reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease.

The participants saw a small reduction in body mass index as well as an increase in muscle mass as a result of the training.

The study was published in European Journal of Applied Physiology.

Arthritis affects about one percent of the population, and about three times as many women as men. Mostly adults are affected, but the disease can occur in children as well.