Photo Credit: Deepak Verma
The following is a summary of “Body Mass Index Trends Over Four Years in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis,” published in the December 2024 issue of Neurology by Conway et al.
People living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) experience obesity, which predisposes them to inflammation and cardiovascular conditions that may worsen the progression of MS. A deeper understanding of body mass index (BMI) trends in this population could help optimize management for those affected by excess weight.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate BMI trends and associated disability levels in PwMS.
They analyzed BMI trends using the Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology Health Solutions (MS PATHS) database data. The first analysis evaluated newly diagnosed PwMS using multivariable regression for associations with baseline BMI and logistic regression for annualized BMI increases (≥0.5 kg/m2 /year and ≥2.0 kg/m2 /year). A second analysis assessed the impact of disability on BMI changes in 10,394 PwMS based on Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) categories.
The results showed 942 newly diagnosed PwMS, 27.9% were overweight, and 42.4% were obese. Higher education was associated with lower baseline BMI (β=-0.31, P=0.003) and reduced odds of rapid BMI gain (≥2.0 kg/m2 /year]; OR=0.88, P=0.001). Women had higher odds of rapid weight gain (≥2.0 kg/m2 /year; OR=1.84, P=0.047). Among 10,394 longstanding PwMS, baseline BMI was higher in those with moderate (β=1.09, P<0.001) or severe (β=1.274, P<0.001) disability compared to those with low disability. Disability was not significantly linked to annualized BMI increases. Women had increased odds of BMI gains of ≥0.5 kg/m2 /year (22%, P=0.002) and ≥2.0 kg/m2 /year (31.6%, P=0.01).
They concluded that being overweight or obese was common in PwMS, with women at higher risk of rapid BMI increases, highlighting the importance of weight management in the care of PwMS.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00794-6/abstract
