Abstract
Objectives: We examine whether the obesity and pain relationship is mediated by the inflammatory marker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and whether this relationship differs by sex. Participants included 667 community-residing adults over age 70, free of dementia enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study (EAS). Background: Among older adults, pain intensity and pain interference are more common in women than men and associated with obesity and inflammatory markers. Design/methods: Items from Medical-Outcomes-Study Short-Form 36 were used to measure pain intensity and pain interference in daily life. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the cross-sectional association among BMI, hsCRP levels, pain intensity and pain interference using gender-stratified models adjusted for demographic variables. Results: In women, pain intensity was associated with obesity (BMI蠅30 vs. normal, OR=2.29, 95[percnt]CI 1.43-3.68) and higher hsCRP (OR=1.28, 95[percnt]CI 1.08-1.51). In a model with obesity and hsCRP, both remained significant but the association between hsCRP and pain intensity was somewhat attenuated. Obesity (OR=3.04, 95[percnt]CI 1.81-5.11) and higher hsCRP levels (OR=1.30, 95[percnt]CI 1.08-1.56) were also independently associated with greater pain interference in women. After adjustment for pain intensity and BMI, hsCRP was no longer associated with pain interference in women. Greater pain intensity and being overweight or obese continued to be significantly associated with pain interference in women. In men, obesity and hsCRP were not associated with pain intensity or pain interference. Conclusions: In women, the relationship between obesity and higher levels of pain intensity or interference may be due, in part, to an increase in hsCRP.
Disclosure: Dr. eslami has nothing to disclose. Dr. Katz has received research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dr. White has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sundermann has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jiang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ezzati has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lipton has received personal compensation for activities with Allergan, Inc., American Headache Society, Autonomic Technologies, Boston Scientific Corp., Bristol-Myers Squibb, CogniMed Inc., Colucid Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, eNeura Therape
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