Obesity and Early Start of Puberty Linked to Greater Likelihood of MS in Study of Teens

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weight and MS risk

Obesity in early adolescence poses a risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) regardless of sex, and an earlier age at puberty also contributes to MS onset at younger ages, especially inĀ overweight teenagers, a study reports.

These findings were in the study, ā€œDistinct effects of obesity and puberty on risk and age at onset of pediatric MS,ā€ published in the journalĀ Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

Recent research has indicated that both increased body mass index (BMI), a weight-to-height ratio, and the onset of puberty canĀ contribute to MSĀ risk. Furthermore, an increase of pediatric MS is seen in moreĀ girls that boys beginning around age 11, suggesting puberty is a pivotal time for MS initiation.

Scientists compiled information on children under age 18 from 14 different pediatric MS centers across the U.S. In total, they analyzedĀ 254 cases of pediatric MS, and recruited 420 teenagers without an autoimmune disease as controls, being treated atĀ these centers. The study data isĀ part of a larger National Institutes of Health investigation (R01NS071463, PI Waubant).

More girls were in the MS groupĀ (63%) than were in the control group (49%), and the analysis corrected for differences in race and ethnicity. Factors analyzed were BMI as an indicator of healthy or excessive weight, sexual maturityĀ (including genitalia, breast and pubic hair development, known as Tanner stages), and age at first menstrual cycle.

A higherĀ BMI was recorded in both boys and girls with MS than in teens serving as controls; excessive weight or obesity was observed in 54%Ā of MS girls compared to 33% of the controls, and inĀ 48% ofĀ boys with MS compared toĀ 34% in the control group. These results are consistent with previous research.

ā€œMarkers of sexual maturity, particularly in association with increased BMI, were associated with younger age at onset in both boys and girls, while obesity alone was associated with increased risk of MS in both boys and girls,ā€ the researchers wrote.

Likewise, only 20% of girls, ages 12ā€“16, in the MS group had not yet reachedĀ puberty (defined as a firstĀ menstrual period orĀ menarche) at disease onset. AĀ higher BMI was also linked to a younger age atĀ menstruation start. The researchers suggest that a complex relationships exists between menarcheal age and obesity regarding age at MS onset, and recommendĀ further research to determine hormonal patterns.

“Higher BMI in early adolescence is a risk factor for MS in girls and boys. Earlier age at sexual maturity contributes to earlier age at MS onset, particularly in association with obesity,” the researchers concluded. ā€œ[These findings are] of significant concern given the growing rates of pediatric obesity worldwide.”