Relationship between body composition parameters and quality of life in patients with obesity and osteoarthritis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body composition determined by bioimpedanciometry (BIA) with quality of life (QoL) and functional capacity in patients with obesity and chronic osteoarthritis.

The design was a descriptive cross-sectional study in a sample of 467 patients (350 women and 117 men) with obesity and chronic osteoarthritis. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), QoL WOMAC test (expressed as a percentage from total score) and BIA parameters (muscle mass index (MMI), fat mass index (FMI), phase angle (PA), BMI-adjusted PA, reactance (Xc) and resistance (RZ)) were recorded. Patients were divided according to total WOMAC score in four quartiles.

The mean age of the patients was 60.12 (10.87) years and 74.9% of the patients were women. The mean BMI was 40.14 (5.39) kg/m2 (M: 39.74 (5.52) vs. W: 40.27 (5.35) kg/m2, P = 0.36). Total WOMAC scores were 49.12 (22.15) % (M: 46.40 (21.58) vs. W: 51.10 (22.25)%, P < 0.05); for stiffness, the score was 47.73% (M: 44.35 (30.36) vs. W: 48.85 (28.45)%, P = 0.15); for pain, it was 52.26 (25.34)% (M: 50.73 (32.68) vs. W: 52.77 (22.39)%, P = 0.45); and for functional capacity, it was 49.07 (23.38)% (M: 45.48 (23.18) vs. W: 50.27 (23.35)%, P = 0.06). MMI and BMI-adjusted PA were negatively correlated with WOMAC functional capacity score (r = -0.16, P < 0.05 for both sexes).

In patients with obesity and chronic osteoarthritis, muscle mass determined by bioimpedanciometry could have a relationship with quality of life determined by the WOMAC test. The decrease in the phase angle adjusted by BMI was related to a slightly decrease in the quality of life.