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From the Journals

Body Composition Linked to Quality of Life in OA

Researchers examined associations between body composition factors, such as fat and muscle mass, and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis.

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Higher fat mass and low muscle mass were linked to declines in physical function, while central fat and muscle mass were associated with better mental health and vitality over time, according to a recent study. 

The study, published in RMD Open, from the Knee and Hip OsteoArthritis Long-term Assessments cohort study examined the relationship between body composition and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with symptomatic knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA). The longitudinal analysis utilized data from 381 patients aged 45 to 75 years, recruited from a multicenter cohort in France. Body composition was assessed via dual X-ray absorptiometry scans, with key metrics including fat mass index (FMI), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and trunk-to-leg fat mass ratio (TFM/LFM). HRQoL was evaluated using the Short Form–36 (SF-36) and OsteoArthritis Knee and Hip Quality Of Life measures over four years.

The study found that higher baseline FMI was associated with worsening physical function over time (SF-36: β = −0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.03 to −0.01, P < .0001), and low muscle mass was similarly linked to declines in physical function (β = −0.21, 95% CI = −0.02 to 0.02, P = .02). Conversely, higher TFM/LFM and SMI were independently associated with improved mental health (SF-36: TFM/LFM β = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.02−0.15, P = .008; SMI β = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.006−0.02, P < .0001) and vitality scores. Pain outcomes were not significantly associated with body composition after adjusting for confounders such as comorbidities and radiographic severity.

Generalized estimating equation models accounted for repeated measures and adjusted for potential confounders, including age, sex, education level, occupation, and OA severity (Kellgren and Lawrence grade). Among confounders, comorbidities and structural OA severity emerged as significant mediators, particularly for pain-related outcomes.

The study demonstrated associations between body composition and HRQoL in OA, with higher FMI linked to worse physical function and SMI and TFM/LFM associated with better mental health and vitality. The findings underscored the importance of evaluating body composition to better understand HRQoL outcomes in OA.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.