The relationship between body mass index, waist circumference and psoriatic arthritis in the Turkish population

Residual Inflammation in Patients with Psoriasis Treated with Biologic Therapy: Findings from 3 Prospective Observational Cohorts

Psoriasis is associated with a higher cardiovascular disease burden, with systemic inflammation being the root cause of this association. The concept of residual inflammation (RI) was defined in patients with features of high-risk atherosclerosis who had increased inflammatory markers in blood, as characterized by high-sensitivity CRP, despite receiving optimal medical therapy. This study aims to assess RI in patients with psoriasis undergoing biologic therapy, specifically defined as high-sensitivity CRP ≥ 2 mg/l despite achieving a PASI ≤ 2. A prospective observational study was conducted across 3 international cohorts (Spain, United States, and Sweden) comprising 209 patients with psoriasis who achieved a PASI ≤ 2 after stable biologic therapy. RI was observed in 36.3% of patients and was significantly associated with higher body mass index, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, increased baseline systemic inflammation, and visceral adipose tissue. Female sex was identified as a predictor of RI in the 3 cohorts. The study concludes that RI persists despite optimal skin response and is strongly linked with obesity and fatty liver disease. These conditions are highlighted as critical drivers and treatment targets of inflammation in psoriasis.

Hip and waist circumference correlations with demographic factors and pain intensity in patients with chronic pain

Aim: This study aimed to investigate how demographic factors such as race, age, sex and ethnicity can impact hip circumference (HC) and waist circumference (WC) in patients with chronic pain.Materials & methods: We queried the NIH-sponsored All of Us database for patients with documented HC, WC and waist/hip ratio (WHR) data. This cross-sectional study categorized participants into four groups: total cohort, no chronic pain, mild/moderate chronic pain (numeric rating scale < 7) and severe chronic pain (numeric rating scale > 7). Further subgroup analyses were performed based on race, age, sex and ethnicity. We examined the correlation between chronic pain and WC, HC and WHR. ANCOVA analysis was used to determine to investigate demographics.Results: This study included 204,013 participants, with 25.22% having a chronic pain diagnoses. In most subgroups, females had significantly greater HC, while males had greater WC and WHR. WC (p < 0.001 in females, p < 0.01 in males), HC (p < 0.001 in females) and WHR (p < 0.001 in females, p < 0.05 in males) were significantly greater in the severe pain group compared with the mild/moderate pain group.Conclusion: These findings suggest that when assessing HC and WC, demographic variables need to be considered to develop more personalized and comprehensive treatment plans for chronic pain patients.

Is adiposity associated with back and lower limb pain? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Back and lower limb pain have a major impact on physical function and quality of life. While obesity is a modifiable risk factor for musculoskeletal pain, the role of adiposity is less clear. This systematic review aimed to examine the relationship between both adiposity and its distribution and back and lower limb pain.

METHODS

A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies that examined the association between anthropometric and/or direct measures of adiposity and site specific musculoskeletal pain. Risk of bias was assessed and a best evidence synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 56 studies were identified which examined 4 pain regions, including the lower back (36 studies), hip (two studies), knee (13 studies) and foot (eight studies). 31(55%) studies were assessed as having low to moderate risk of bias. 17(30%) studies were cohort in design. The best evidence synthesis provided evidence of a relationship between central adiposity and low back and knee pain, but not hip or foot pain. There was also evidence of a longitudinal relationship between adiposity and the presence of back, knee and foot pain, as well as incident and increasing foot pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review provides evidence of an association between both body fat and its central distribution and low back and knee pain, and a longitudinal relationship between adiposity and back, knee and foot pain. These results highlight the potential for targeting adiposity in the development of novel treatments at these sites.