Development and Cross-Validation of a Simple Model to Estimate Percent Body Fat in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

[摘要] Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent immunemediated disease of the central nervous system that results in demyelination and transection of axons and loss of neurons in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.1 The disease itself and associated central nervous system damage result in a variety of consequences, including cognitive impairment, mobility difficulties, fatigue, depression, and pain,2 that might influence diet and physical activity behaviors as primary determinants of body composition. There has further been some evidence of altered body composition, including body fat, in persons with MS, and body fat has been associated with disability, pain symptoms, physical function, bone health, cardiorespiratory fitness, and health-related quality of life in this population.3-5 Body composition, particularly body fat, might be associated with the excessive rate of comorbid conditions, particularly cardiovascular abnormalities, in persons with MS.6 In addition, persons with MS are at higher risk for overweight/obesity compared with persons without MS.7-9 The higher risk of obesity is further associated with increasing risk of disability and pain and lower quality of life and general health in adults with MS.7,9-11 Moreover, there is increasing evidence that overweight may contribute to increased disability progression12 and relapses in first-line therapy responses in MS.13 Given the adverse health consequences of obesity on the treatment and course of MS, examining the body fat is a further priority for general health research for the MS population. Therefore, measuring the body fat of these individuals using a simple tool may be useful for the development of interventions for reducing obesity in MS. Collectively, this accumulated knowledge makes the quantification of body fat in people with MS important for research and clinical practice.

[学科分类] 精神健康和精神病学