Effect of obesity on patient-reported outcomes in sarcoidosis

Quality of life in sarcoidosis

Having sarcoidosis often has a major impact on quality of life of patients and their families. Improving quality of life is prioritized as most important treatment aim by many patients with sarcoidosis, but current evidence and treatment options are limited. In this narrative review, we describe the impact of sarcoidosis on various aspects of daily life, evaluate determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and provide an overview of the different patient-reported outcome measures to assess HRQoL in sarcoidosis. Moreover, we review the current evidence for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to improve quality of life for people with sarcoidosis.

Comorbidities of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a heterogeneous disease, which can affect virtually every body organ, even though lungs and intra thoracic lymph nodes are almost universally affected. The presence of noncaseating granulomas is the histopathological hallmark of the disease, and clinical picture depends on the organs affected. Data about interaction between sarcoidosis and comorbidities, such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, autoimmune disorders, malignancy and drug-related adverse events are limited. Several lung conditions can be associated with sarcoidosis, such as pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis, making it difficult sometimes the differentiation between complications and distinctive pathologies. Their coexistence may complicate the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and contribute to the highly variable and unpredictable natural history, particularly if several diseases are recognised. A thorough assessment of specific disorders that can be associated with sarcoidosis should always be carried out, and future studies will need to evaluate sarcoidosis not only as a single disorder, but also in the light of possible concomitant conditions.Key messagesComorbidities in sarcoidosis are common, especially cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.In the diagnostic workup, a distinction must be made between sarcoidosis-related complaints and complaints caused by other separate disorders. It can be very difficult to distinguish between complications of sarcoidosis and other concomitant conditions.The coexistence of multiple conditions may complicate the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, affect its natural course and response to treatment.

Respiratory diseases and obesity: special phenotype or independent events: Review

A combination of factors, including Western European eating habits, physical inactivity and genetic predisposition, lead to a dramatic increase in adipose tissue mass. A special place is occupied by abdominal obesity, in which there is an accumulation of adipose tissue in the mesentery of the small intestine and the omentum. Developing in conditions of visceral obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation are one of the key components of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver and pancreas disease, polycystic ovary disease, some forms of cancer (breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colonic and direct intestines). At the same time, the pathogenetic role of adipose tissue is not limited to its participation in the formation of the cardiometabolic continuum and oncogenesis. The most important role of metabolically active fat in the pathogenesis of many respiratory diseases is known, including bronchial asthma, obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension. This paper presents an overview of current data on immunological, pathophysiological and clinical features of the phenotype of the combination of respiratory diseases with overweight and obesity.

FeV1 and BMI influence King's Sarcoidosis Questionnaire score in sarcoidosis patients

Background

Sarcoidosis is granulomatous disease of unknown origin affecting organ function and quality of life. The King’s Sarcoidosis Questionnaire (KSQ) serves as a tool to assess quality of life in sarcoidosis patients with general health and organ specific domains. A German translation has been validated in a German cohort. In this study we assessed, whether clinical parameters influence KSQ scores.

Methods

Clinical data (e.g. lung function, organ impairment, serological parameters) for the German validation cohort were extracted from clinical charts and investigated by correlation and linear regression analyses.

Results

KSQ subdomain scores were generally lower in patients with respective organ manifestation or on current therapy. LUNG subdomain was significantly predicted by lung functional parameters, however for general health status, only FeV1 exerted significant influence. GHS was not influenced by serological parameters, but was significantly negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI). KSQ provides additional information beyond lung function, clinical or serological parameters in sarcoidosis patients. Notably, high BMI is significantly negatively associated with patients’ well-being as measured by KSQ-GHS.

Conclusion

This observation may direct further studies investigating the effect of obesity on sarcoidosis-related quality of life and strategies to intervene with steroid-sparing therapies and measures of life style modifications.

Trial registration This study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (reference number DRKS00010072). Registered January 2016.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-021-01761-7.

Are inflammatory and malnutrition markers associated with metabolic syndrome in patients with sarcoidosis?

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to investigate the use of Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, controlling nutritional status, and prognostic nutritional index immune, inflammatory, and malnutrition markers Metabolic syndrome+ in sarcoidosis patients, as an early-stage marker.

METHOD

This is a single-center and cross-sectional study that determines the association of Metabolic syndrome in patients with sarcoidosis. Patients were evaluated based on the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, controlling nutritional status, and prognostic nutritional index values were simultaneously determined through blood test.

RESULTS

A total of 253 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis were included in this study. Metabolic syndrome- was detected in 37.2% of patients. The prevalence was significantly higher in females (p<0.001). Any degree of malnutrition assessed by controlling nutritional status had higher Metabolic syndrome (p=0.035). The Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio cutoff value was 2.24, sensitivity was 70.53, specificity was 60.13, and Area Under the Curve value was 0.663 for predicting Metabolic syndrome in sarcoidosis patients.

CONCLUSION

Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and controlling nutritional status are associated with the Metabolic syndrome+ in sarcoidosis patients. Thus, close monitoring of Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and controlling nutritional status increase in terms of Metabolic syndrome and immune malnutrition may be important in sarcoidosis patients.

Abnormal FeV1 and body mass index are associated with impaired cough-related quality of life in sarcoidosis patients

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that mainly manifests within the lungs and may thereby impair lung function. Beyond and independently from organ impairment, sarcoidosis may affect quality of life which can be quantified by questionnaires. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) has been developed to assess cough-related quality of life. We analysed data from a prospectively collected cohort of sarcoidosis patients for validation of the German LCQ version. Our analyses demonstrated that LCQ values add additional information beyond routinely monitored parameters (e.g. lung function). Only FeV1 and BMI slightly influence LCQ scores, where all other parameters tested did not correlate with LCQ scores. In summary, LCQ is a valuable tool providing information on the patient' quality of life beyond routine follow-up parameters. FeV1 and BMI may represent treatable traits to reduce cough-related disease burden.

The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

RATIONALE

The Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is a frequently used tool to assess health status in pulmonary disease patients. However, its performance characteristics in sarcoidosis patients are not well characterized.

METHODS

Data from a clinical trial of 138 symptomatic adults with sarcoidosis were used to examine the performance characteristics of SGRQ. Data were available at both baseline and week 24. Other assessments included FVC, FEV1, ATS dyspnea score, Borg's CR 10 dyspnea score, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary (SF-36 PCS) score.

RESULTS

Baseline SGRQ was 46.8, indicating impaired health status. At baseline, SGRQ total score correlated significantly with % predicted FVC, FEV1, ATS dyspnea score, Borg's CR 10 dyspnea score, 6MWD, and SF-36 PCS (r =  - 0.37, - 0.32, 0.57, 0.40, - 0.55, and - 0.80, respectively, p < 0.001). Change from baseline in SGRQ score also statistically significantly correlated with change from baseline in these parameters at week 24: r =  - 0.25, - 0.20, 0.30, 0.22, - 0.20, - 0.45, respectively (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The SGRQ correlated with other outcome measures in sarcoidosis initially and with treatment. Improvement in FVC % predicted correlated with improvement in SGRQ. These data suggest the SGRQ may function as a reliable endpoint in clinical sarcoidosis trials.

Predictors of cough-specific and generic quality of life in sarcoidosis patients

Background

Cough is frequent symptom in sarcoidosis and its impact on patient's quality of life (QoL) has not been adequately addressed so far.

Objectives

The goal of this study was to determine the significant predictors of cough-specific and generic QoL in sarcoidosis patients.

Methods

In the prospective study 275 sarcoidosis patients administered Patient Reported Outcomes instruments for measurement of dyspnea (Borg and MRC scales) and fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) and Daily Activity List (DAL)), as well as patients' QoL (cough-specific Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) and generic tool - 15D). The LCQ contains 3 domains covering physical, psychological and social aspects of chronic cough. Pulmonary function tests (spirometry and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide) and serum angiotensin converting enzyme (sACE) were also measured.

Results

Dyspnea measured by Borg scale and impairment of daily activities determined by DAL instrument as well as sACE were the strongest predictors of all cough-specific QoL domains. Mental aspect of patients' fatigue was significantly correlated with all domains except with psychological LCQ domain. Regarding the generic QoL, the following significant predictors were: dyspnea measured by MRC scale, overall fatigue determined by FAS and physical domain of the LCQ.

Conclusion

It is important to measure both cough-specific and generic QoL in sarcoidosis patients since they measure different health aspects and their predictors can be different. We demonstrated that physical domain of cough-specific QoL is significant predictor of generic QoL. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020; 37 (2): 158-168).

Health-Related Quality of Life in Sarcoidosis

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) describes an individual's perception of the impact of health, disease, and treatment on their quality of life (QoL). It is a reflection of how the manifestation of an illness and its treatment is personally experienced. Assessing HRQoL is particularly important in sarcoidosis because the attributable disease mortality is relatively low, and one of the major reasons for initiating treatment is to improve quality of life. HRQoL has been assessed in sarcoidosis using various generic and sarcoid-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). It is important that both the direct and indirect effects of the disease, as well as potential toxicities of therapy, are captured in the various PROMs used to assess HRQoL in sarcoidosis. This article provides a general overview of HRQoL in patients with sarcoidosis. It describes the various PROMs used to assess HRQoL in sarcoidosis and addresses the various factors that influence HRQoL in sarcoidosis. Specific attention is paid to fatigue, small fiber neuropathy, corticosteroid therapy, and other disease-specific factors that affect HRQoL in sarcoidosis. It also provides an insight into interventions that have been associated with improved HRQoL in sarcoidosis and offers suggestions for future research in this important area.

Is sarcoidosis related to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance?

Aim: To investigate the relationship between sarcoidosis and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR).Method: In our study, 47 patients with sarcoidosis who applied to our outpatient clinic and 45 healthy individuals without chronic disease were included. All patients were evaluated for MetS according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. The presence of three of the five factors defined by ATP III for MetS was accepted as a diagnosis of MetS. IR is calculated using the HOMA-IR index.Results: The mean age of the 47 patients with sarcoidosis was 50.7 ± 12.2 years and the mean age of the 45 control groups was 42.9 ± 14.4 years. Almost 80% of the patients were diagnosed as stage 2 sarcoidosis. Distribution of the patients according to the use of steroid is; almost half of the patients (47%) received steroid previously or recently. Patients with sarcoidosis have a 7.66 relative risk for MetS, whereas they also have a 5.48 relative risk of insulin resistance development.Conclusion: This study shows that MetS is associated with increased sarcoidosis risk. MetS and IR diagnosis was higher in patients with sarcoidosis.

Obesity is Independently Associated With Worse Patient-Reported Outcomes in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether obesity in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is independently associated with worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

METHODS

Data were derived from a prospective study of adult women with a diagnosis of SLE that was verified by medical record review. Two established definitions for obesity were used: fat mass index (FMI) ≥13 kg/m² and body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² . Dependent variables included 4 validated PROs: disease activity as assessed by the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ), depressive symptoms as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), pain as assessed by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) pain subscale, and fatigue as assessed by the SF-36 vitality subscale. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate the associations of obesity with PROs, while controlling for potential confounders (age, race, education, income, smoking, disease duration, disease damage, and prednisone use).

RESULTS

The analysis included 148 participants, 32% of whom were obese. In the multivariate regression model, obesity was associated with worse scores for each PRO. Mean adjusted scores for the SLAQ and CES-D comparing obese versus non-obese participants were 14.8 versus 11.5 (P = 0.01) and 19.8 versus 13.1 (P < 0.01), respectively. The obese group also reported worse mean adjusted scores for pain (38.7 versus 44.2; P < 0.01) and fatigue (39.6 versus 45.2; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In a representative sample of women with SLE, obesity (as defined by both FMI and BMI) was independently associated with worse PROs, including disease activity, depressive symptoms, and symptoms of pain and fatigue. Obesity may represent a modifiable target for improving outcomes among obese women with SLE.

Obesity and sarcoidosis: consequence or contributor?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown cause. Obesity can affect many physiological factors. The relationship between obesity and sarcoidosis is unclear, and can been described as posing a 'chicken and egg' scenario for the patient as it is not always clear whether it is a consequence of, or a risk factor for any disease. The purpose of this review is to examine the dual roles of obesity on sarcoidosis morbidity and the incidence.

RECENT FINDINGS

Obesity magnifies the symptoms of sarcoidosis and corticosteroid therapy increases BMI. Prospective epidemiologic studies started to explore the role of obesity as a potential risk factor for sarcoidosis. Three studies in the United States, and one study in Denmark, have demonstrated significantly increased risks of sarcoidosis among obese compared with nonobese patients; risk estimates ranged from 1.42 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.89] to 3.59 (95% CI, 2.31-5.57).

SUMMARY

Obesity can be both a consequence of sarcoidosis treatment, and a contributor to disease risk likely through the pro-inflammatory environment of obesity. Prospective epidemiologic cohort studies are needed to explore the cause of sarcoidosis and insight into possible avenues of treatment development and prevention.

Inflammation, obesity and rheumatic disease: common mechanistic links. A narrative review

Obesity represents a rising global health concern, linked to significant social, psychological and physical burden to the individual affected, people around them and the society as a whole. Obesity has been described as a low-grade inflammatory condition, associated with increased production of pro-inflammatory mediators like tumor necrosis factor alpha or interleukin 6 and altered expression of adipokines. Adipokines, mainly produced by adipose tissue, have mixed pro- and anti-inflammatory properties. Obesity rarely exists on its own; instead, it tends to coexist with (often multiple) other comorbidities, including metabolic, cardiovascular, and rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). In the case of RMDs, evidence is rapidly accumulating on common mechanistic pathways implicated in the inflammatory states seen between RMDs and obesity. Although there remain unanswered questions on the exact mechanisms of inflammation that link obesity to RMDs, what is becoming increasingly known is the association between obesity and adverse clinical outcomes in RMDs. This narrative review discusses insights into mechanisms of inflammation linking obesity and RMDs and evidence on the impact of obesity on treatment response and important disease outcomes. We highlight the importance of targeting obesity, a common and modifiable comorbidity, as part of the routine care of people with RMDs.

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in sarcoidosis

Patients with sarcoidosis present with a variety of symptoms which may impair many aspects of physical and mental well-being. Traditionally, clinicians have been concerned with physical health aspects of sarcoidosis, assessing disease activity and severity with radiological imaging, pulmonary function and blood tests. However, the most reported symptom of sarcoidosis patients, fatigue, has been shown not to correlate with the most commonly used parameters for monitoring disease activity. Studies have shown poor agreement between physicians and patients in assessing sarcoidosis symptoms. This underlines the importance of patient reported outcomes (PROs) in addition to traditional outcomes in order to provide a complete evaluation of the effects of interventions in clinical trials and everyday clinical assessment of sarcoidosis. We have undertaken a systematic review to identify and provide an overview of PRO concepts used in sarcoidosis assessment the past 20 years and to evaluate the tools used for measuring these concepts, called patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). Various PROMs have been used. By categorizing these PROMs according to outcome we identified the key PRO concepts for sarcoidosis to be Health Status and Quality of Life, Dyspnea, Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety and Stress and Miscellaneous. There is no perfect sarcoidosis-specific PROM to cover all concepts and future intervention studies should therefore contain multiple complementary questionnaires. Based on our findings we recommend the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) for assessing fatigue. Dyspnea scores should be chosen based on their purpose; more research is needed to examine their validity in sarcoidosis. The Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MRC) can be used to screen for dyspnea and the Baseline Dyspnea Index (BDI) to detect changes in dyspnea. We recommend The World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument (WHOQOL-100) for assessing quality of life, although a shorter questionnaire would be preferable. For assessing health status we recommend the Sarcoidosis Assessment Tool (SAT), and have great expectations for this new and promising assessment tool. Supplementary to the WASOG meeting of 2011's recommendation on assessing QoL, we recommend incorporating fatigue, dyspnea and HS assessment in clinical trials and everyday clinical assessment of sarcoidosis. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2017; 34: 2-17).

Selected Disorders of the Respiratory System

Respiration and gas exchange require coordination between the chest wall, lungs, central nervous system, and pulmonary circulation. A disruption within any one of these systems or a change in the relationship between systems can result in impairments of ventilation, perfusion, or gas exchange. These disruptions can result in debilitating acute and chronic respiratory disorders. This chapter discusses the etiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, management, and notable public health implications of respiratory system disorders not addressed in prior chapters. Topic areas covered include acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary hypertension, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, interstitial lung disease, bronchiectasis, atelectasis, and pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Patient factors associated with lung transplant referral and waitlist for patients with cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Since 2005, the Lung Allocation Score (LAS) has prioritized patient benefit and post-transplant survival, reducing waitlist to transplant time to <200 days and decreasing mortality on the waitlist. A current challenge is the wait for the waitlist-the time between the patient's transplant-eligible diagnosis and waitlist registration.

METHODS

We investigated whether sociodemographic (age, sex, race, insurance, marital status, median household income) and clinical (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV₁] percent of predicted, body mass index, depression/anxiety, alcohol/substance misuse, absolute/relative contraindications) factors influenced referral and waitlist registration. We conducted a retrospective cohort study through chart review of hospitalized patients on the University of Chicago general medicine service from 2006 to 2014 who met transplant-eligible criteria and ICD-9 billing codes for cystic fibrosis (CF) and pulmonary fibrosis (PF). We analyzed the times from transplant eligibility to referral, work-up and waitlisting using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

Overall, the referral rate for transplant-eligible patients was 64%. Of those referred, approximately 36% reach the lung transplant waitlist. Referred CF patients were significantly more likely to reach the transplant waitlist than PF patients (CF 60% vs PF 22%, p < 0.05). In addition, CF patients had a shorter wait from transplant eligibility to waitlist than PF patients (329 vs 2,369 days, respectively [25th percentile], p < 0.05). Patients with PF and CF both faced delays from eligibility to referral and waitlist.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality improvement efforts are needed to better identify and refer appropriate patients for lung transplant evaluation. Targeted interventions may facilitate more efficient evaluation completion and waitlist appearance.

ProKaSaRe Study Protocol: A Prospective Multicenter Study of Pulmonary Rehabilitation of Patients With Sarcoidosis

Background

Available data assessing the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with chronic sarcoidosis are scant; for Germany, there are none at all.

Objective

To gain information about the benefit of in-house pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with chronic sarcoidosis and for the health care system, we intend to collect data in a prospective multicenter “real-life” cohort trial.

Methods

ProKaSaRe (Prospektive Katamnesestudie Sarkoidose in der pneumologischen Rehabilitation) [Prospective Catamnesis Study of Sarcoidosis in Pulmonary Rehabilitation] will assess a multimodal 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program for adult patients with chronic sarcoidosis over a 1-year follow-up time. Defined specific clinical measurements and tests will be performed at the beginning and the end of the rehabilitation. In addition, questionnaires concerning health-related quality of life and the patients’ symptoms will be provided to all patients. Inclusion criteria will be referral to one of the 6 participating pulmonary rehabilitation clinics in Germany for sarcoidosis and age between 18 and 80 years. Patients will only be excluded for a lack of German language skills or the inability to understand and complete the study questionnaires. To rule out seasonal influences, the recruitment will take place over a period of 1 year. In total, at least 121 patients are planned to be included. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data will be performed, including multivariate analyses. The primary outcomes are specific health-related quality of life (St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire) and exercise capacity (6-minute walk test). The secondary outcomes are several routine lung function and laboratory parameters, dyspnea scores and blood gas analysis at rest and during exercise, changes in fatigue, psychological burden, and generic health-related quality of life (36-item Short Form Health Survey).

Results

Funding was obtained on October 12, 2010; enrollment began on January 15, 2011 and was completed by January 14, 2012. Results are anticipated late summer 2015.

Conclusions

Due to the large number of participants, we expect to obtain representative findings concerning the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with sarcoidosis and to provide a dataset of assessed objective and subjective short- and long-term changes due to pulmonary rehabilitation. The results should form the basis for the planning of a randomized controlled trial.

Trial Registration

German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00000560; https://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/ drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00000560 (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6dKb5X87R)

Does comorbid obesity impact quality of life outcomes in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery?

BACKGROUND

Both obesity and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are characterized by inflammation. Furthermore, both disease processes are independently associated with decreases in quality-of-life (QOL). We sought to investigate the role of comorbid obesity in QOL outcomes in CRS patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

METHODS

Adult patients with medically refractory CRS (n = 241) were prospectively enrolled into a multi-institutional treatment outcomes investigation. Body mass index (BMI) calculations were used to differentiate patient weight groups (normal weight: 18.5 to 24.9, overweight: 25.0 to 29.9; and obese: ≥30.0). Preoperative and postoperative QOL (Rhinosinusitis Disability Index [RSDI] and the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test [SNOT-22]) were evaluated compared across BMI groups and obesity subclasses.

RESULTS

The prevalence of comorbid obesity was 41% (n = 99). Higher prevalence of comorbid disease was found across increasing BMI groups including diabetes mellitus, asthma, and depression. No significant differences were found in mean preoperative QOL measures between any BMI groups. Significant improvement between preoperative and postoperative QOL mean scores (p ≤ 0.050) was found for all BMI groups. Despite no significant difference in mean QOL improvement between BMI groups (p ≥ 0.142), overweight and obese patients reported reduced relative mean percentage (%) improvement compared to normal weight participants on the RSDI total score (33% and 37% vs 55%, respectively) and SNOT-22 total score (29% and 40% vs 48%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Patients with comorbid obesity experience significant improvement in average QOL gains following ESS though the percentage of relative improvement in QOL may be decreased in patients with comorbid obesity and CRS as compared to those without.

Obesity and weight gain in relation to incidence of sarcoidosis in US black women: data from the Black Women's Health Study

BACKGROUND

Sarcoidosis, a systemic disorder characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammation, occurs more frequently among US black women, as do overweight and obesity. Little is known about the relation of overweight and obesity, which induce chronic inflammation, to incidence of sarcoidosis.

METHODS

We assessed the relation of obesity and weight gain to the incidence of sarcoidosis in the Black Women's Health Study, a follow-up study of 59,000 US black women aged 21 to 69 years at baseline in 1995. Information on weight at age 18 years, height, current weight, incident sarcoidosis, and covariates was collected at baseline and on biennial follow-up questionnaires. Cox regression models adjusted for age, education, geographic region, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

From 1995 through 2011, 454 incident cases of sarcoidosis occurred during 707,557 person-years of follow-up. The incidence of sarcoidosis increased with increasing BMI and weight gain. The IRR was 1.40 (95% CI, 0.88-2.25) for BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 at age 18 years relative to 20 to 24 kg/m2 (P trend = .18), 1.42 (95% CI, 1.07-1.89) for BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 at baseline relative to 20 to 24 kg/m2 (P trend = .01), and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.10-1.97) for a weight gain between age 18 years and baseline of ≥ 30 kg relative to 0 to 9 kg (P trend = .16). In stratified analyses, there were significant trends of sarcoidosis incidence with increasing BMI and weight gain in women aged ≥ 45 years and ever smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides evidence that weight gain and obesity during adulthood are associated with increased sarcoidosis incidence.

Body mass index and risk of autoimmune diseases: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort

BACKGROUND

A possible aetiological link between obesity and certain autoimmune diseases (ADs) has been suggested. We investigated the associations between body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and 43 ADs.

METHODS

75,008 women participating in the Danish National Birth Cohort were followed during a median time of 11 years. Diagnoses on ADs were retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated adjusting for potential confounders (smoking, alcohol, parity and socio-occupational status).

RESULTS

During follow-up, 2430 women (3.2%) developed a total of 2607 new-onset ADs. Risk of any autoimmune disease was increased in obese women (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.46) compared with normal weight women (18.5-≤25 kg/m2). Obese women (BMI≥30 kg/m2) were at increased risk of sarcoidosis (HR 3.59; 95% CI, 2.31 to 5.57) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (HR 2.67; 95% CI, 1.71 to 4.17). Risk of dermatitis herpetiformis increased by 14% (95% CI, 1% to 30%) per BMI unit. Conversely, risk of celiac disease and Raynaud's phenomenon decreased by 7% (95% CI, 1% to 13%) and 12% (95% CI, 4% to 19%) per BMI unit, respectively. Further associations between BMI and risk of psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease were suggested.

CONCLUSIONS

BMI was found to be associated with several Ads. This was most pronounced between obesity and risk of sarcoidosis and and risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus. These novel findings need confirmation and the possible role of adipose tissue-derived immunological changes in the development of autoimmune reactions needs consideration.