Se ha comprobado, aunque pueda parecer obvio, que son más frecuentes las degeneraciones discales de la columna lumbar en las personas obesas y con sobrepeso.

Arthritis Rheum, 05/2012,

 “The association of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging with body mass index in overweight and obese adults: A population-based study”.

Estudio transversal de 2.599 voluntarios chinos de ambos sexos con edad media de 42 años, mediante resonancia magnética de la columna lumbar para comprobar la presencia, el alcance y la gravedad de la degeneración discal con relación a su índice de masa corporal (kg/m2). La degeneración del disco se observó en el 72,7% sujetos. Las personas con sobrepeso y obesidad presentaron degeneración discal de forma significativamente mayor que el resto. También fue significativamente mayor el número de niveles degenerados, la severidad global de la degeneración del disco, y la etapa final la degeneración del disco con estrechamiento del espacio discal.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22287295

Arthritis Rheum. 2012 May;64(5):1488-96. doi: 10.1002/art.33462.

The association of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging with body mass index in overweight and obese adults: a population-based study.

Samartzis D, Karppinen J, Chan D, Luk KD, Cheung KM.

Source

University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. dsamartzis@msn.com

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the association of being overweight or obese with the presence, extent, and severity of lumbar disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adults.

METHODS:

A population-based cross-sectional study of 2,599 southern Chinese volunteers was conducted. Subjects underwent radiographic and clinical assessment, and weight and height were measured. Sagittal T2-weighted MRIs of the lumbar spine were obtained. The presence, extent, and severity of disc degeneration and additional radiographic and clinical parameters were assessed. Asian-modified body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2) ) categories were used. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS:

The study included 1,040 men and 1,559 women (mean age 41.9 years). Disc degeneration was noted in 1,890 subjects (72.7%). BMI was significantly higher in subjects with disc degeneration (mean 23.3 kg/m(2) ) than in subjects without degeneration (mean 21.7 kg/m(2) ) (P < 0.001). A significant increase in the number of degenerated levels (P < 0.001), global severity of disc degeneration (P < 0.001), and end-stage disc degeneration with disc space narrowing (P < 0.001) was noted with elevated BMI, in particular in overweight and obese subjects. In the adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, there was a positive linear trend (r(2) = 0.99) between BMI and the overall presence of disc degeneration in overweight (OR 1.30 [95% CI 1.03-1.62]) and obese (OR 1.79 [95% CI 1.17-2.74]) subjects. End-stage disc degeneration with disc space narrowing was significantly more pronounced in obese subjects (adjusted OR 1.72 [95% CI 1.23-2.41] [reference normal weight]).

CONCLUSION:

Our findings, in one of the largest studies to systematically assess lumbar disc degeneration on MRI, indicated a significant association between the presence, extent, and global severity of disc degeneration with weight in overweight and obese adults.

Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Comment in

• The influence of body mass index on lumbar disc degeneration: comment on the article by Samartzis et al. [Arthritis Rheum. 2012]

PMID:

 

22287295

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

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