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Does body composition differ between fibromyalgia patients and controls? the al-Ándalus project
Victor Segura-Jimenez1, Virginia A Aparicio2, Inmaculata C Alvarez-Gallardo1
1Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology
|February 10, 2015
Summary
Fibromyalgia women in southern Spain show higher obesity rates and poorer body composition than controls, linked to lower cardiorespiratory fitness. Men with fibromyalgia did not differ significantly in these measures.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition affecting body composition and fitness.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize anthropometric and body composition profiles of fibromyalgia patients.
- To compare these profiles with non-fibromyalgia controls in southern Spain.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 566 women and 24 men with fibromyalgia, compared to 249 women and 56 men without the condition.
- Body composition assessed via bioimpedanciometry; cardiorespiratory fitness by the 6-minute walk test.
Main Results:
- Fibromyalgia women exhibited significant differences in body composition (excluding muscle mass) compared to controls, which disappeared after accounting for cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Obesity prevalence was higher in fibromyalgia women (17% more) than controls.
- No significant differences in body composition or weight status were found between fibromyalgia and control men.
Conclusions:
- Obesity is more prevalent in southern Spanish women with fibromyalgia, potentially due to lower cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Fibromyalgia men showed no differences in body composition or weight status compared to controls, despite lower cardiorespiratory fitness.