TY - JOUR
T1 - MRI-derived abdominal adipose tissue is associated with multisite and widespread chronic pain
AU - Kifle, Zemene Demelash
AU - Tian, Jing
AU - Aitken, Dawn
AU - Melton, Phillip E.
AU - Cicuttini, Flavia
AU - Jones, Graeme
AU - Pan, Feng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2024.
PY - 2024/9/10
Y1 - 2024/9/10
N2 - Introduction Musculoskeletal pain typically occurs in multiple sites; however, no study has examined whether excessive visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue are associated with musculoskeletal pain. This study therefore aimed to describe the associations between MRI-derived abdominal adipose tissue and multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods Data from the UK Biobank, a large prospective, population-based cohort study, were used. Abdominal MRI scans were performed at two imaging visits to quantify visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Pain in the neck/shoulder, back, hip, knee or’all over the body’ was assessed at the corresponding visits. Mixed-effects ordinal/multinomial/ logistic regression models were used for the analyses. Results A total of 32 409 participants were included (50.8% women, mean age 55.0±7.4 years). In multivariable analyses, there was a dose–response association of visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue and their ratio with the number of chronic pain sites in both women (visceral adipose tissue: OR 2.04 per SD (95% CI 1.85 to 2.26); subcutaneous adipose tissue: OR 1.60 (95% CI 1.50 to 1.70); and their ratio: OR 1.60 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.87)) and men (visceral adipose tissue: OR 1.34 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.42); subcutaneous adipose tissue: OR 1.39 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.49); and their ratio: OR 1.13 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.20)). Higher levels of adipose tissue were also associated with greater odds of reporting chronic pain in both sexes. The effect estimates of these adipose measures were relatively larger in women than in men. Conclusion Abdominal adipose tissue was associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that excessive and ectopic fat depositions may be involved in the pathogenesis of multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. The identified stronger effects in women than men may reflect sex differences in fat distribution and hormones.
AB - Introduction Musculoskeletal pain typically occurs in multiple sites; however, no study has examined whether excessive visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue are associated with musculoskeletal pain. This study therefore aimed to describe the associations between MRI-derived abdominal adipose tissue and multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods Data from the UK Biobank, a large prospective, population-based cohort study, were used. Abdominal MRI scans were performed at two imaging visits to quantify visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Pain in the neck/shoulder, back, hip, knee or’all over the body’ was assessed at the corresponding visits. Mixed-effects ordinal/multinomial/ logistic regression models were used for the analyses. Results A total of 32 409 participants were included (50.8% women, mean age 55.0±7.4 years). In multivariable analyses, there was a dose–response association of visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue and their ratio with the number of chronic pain sites in both women (visceral adipose tissue: OR 2.04 per SD (95% CI 1.85 to 2.26); subcutaneous adipose tissue: OR 1.60 (95% CI 1.50 to 1.70); and their ratio: OR 1.60 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.87)) and men (visceral adipose tissue: OR 1.34 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.42); subcutaneous adipose tissue: OR 1.39 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.49); and their ratio: OR 1.13 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.20)). Higher levels of adipose tissue were also associated with greater odds of reporting chronic pain in both sexes. The effect estimates of these adipose measures were relatively larger in women than in men. Conclusion Abdominal adipose tissue was associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that excessive and ectopic fat depositions may be involved in the pathogenesis of multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. The identified stronger effects in women than men may reflect sex differences in fat distribution and hormones.
KW - Back Pain
KW - CHRONIC PAIN
KW - Pain Management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204248186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/rapm-2024-105535
DO - 10.1136/rapm-2024-105535
M3 - Article
C2 - 39256036
AN - SCOPUS:85204248186
SN - 1098-7339
JO - Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
JF - Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
ER -