Factors Related to Body Mass Index in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis – TOMORROW study
Pages 168-174
Yoshinari Matsumoto, Yuko Sugioka, Masahiro Tada, Tadashi Okano, Kenji Mamoto, Kentaro Inui, Daiki Habu and Tatsuya Koike

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1929-5634.2014.03.04.4

Published: 22 December 2014

Abstract: Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and patient characteristics, lifestyle factors, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related clinical data in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A total of 171 female outpatients with RA and 170 age-matched females without RA (controls) from the TOMORROW study (UMIN: 000003876) were included in this cross-sectional study. We divided subjects into 3 groups based on BMI: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m² and < 25 kg/m²), and overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m²), and compared RA disease activity, activities of daily living (ADL) assessed by modified health assessment questionnaire (mHAQ) score, energy and nutrient intake, and CVD risk-related clinical data.

Results: In patients with RA, mHAQ scores were lower in the normal weight group compared with the underweight and overweight groups (p < 0.05). Disease activity showed a similar trend. Energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake showed a positive correlation with BMI (p < 0.05). Blood pressure, C-reactive protein, uric acid, triglyceride, fasting plasma glucose, immune reactive insulin, HbA1c, and leptin showed a positive correlation with BMI, and adiponectin showed a negative correlation with BMI (p < 0.05). Control subjects showed similar trends.

Conclusions: BMI is related to ADL, disease activity, energy, protein and carbohydrate intake, and CVD risk-related clinical data, and might be an indicator of total health status in female patients with RA.