Excess fat around the waist is associated with chronic pain throughout the body. Being overweight and having a higher body mass index (BMI) have been linked by scientists to a higher risk of chronic pain.
A new study has found that more fat in the abdominal area – and around major organs such as the liver and pancreas – is associated with pain in many parts of the body, especially in women.
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Losing weight or working on a slimmer waist can help ease this pain, experts say.
The study, carried out by researchers including those from the University of Western Australia, examined data collected from 32,409 people who took part in the UK Biobank study, all of whom completed questionnaires and underwent health assessments.
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About half (51 percent) were women and their average age was 55 years.
They underwent MRI scans of their abdomens to measure the amount of fat around their abdominal organs (known as visceral adipose tissue).
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The amount of fat under the skin that can be pinched (known as subcutaneous fat) was also observed.
The participants were also asked if they had pain in the neck or shoulder, back, hip, knee or in the whole body in the past period, not longer than three months.
The connection of fat around the waist and stomach with pain is more noticeable in women
Two years later, all assessments were conducted again on 638 people in the group.
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The results showed that people who had larger amounts of fat around the waist and on the stomach reported suffering from various types of pain much more often. Obese people, especially women, are at the same risk.
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Explaining the study in the scientific journal Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the authors write: “Higher levels of adipose tissue were associated with greater odds of reporting chronic pain in both sexes. Estimates of the effects of body fat were relatively higher in women than in men, which may reflect gender differences in fat distribution and hormones.”
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The team of scientists adds that reducing body fat around the waist “can be considered a target for the treatment of chronic pain, especially in those who often suffer from pain in multiple locations in the body and in those who have so-called widespread pain.”
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They also suggested that the accumulation of body fat may be associated with an increased risk of inflammation, which in turn may cause pain in humans. In addition to pain, inflammation also affects the nervous system of people, the researchers added.
Source: www.sitoireseto.com
