Extra weight tied to subtle walking changes in people with early MS
Wider steps, more time with feet on ground may signal caution
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Walking problems are common in MS. (Photo by iStock)
- Overweight or obese people with early multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit subtle gait changes, including taking wider steps.
- These changes could indicate a cautious walking strategy for stability.
- Weight management is suggested as an important part of early, comprehensive MS care.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are overweight or obese show subtle changes in walking patterns early in the disease, a small, exploratory study found.
Walking speed, number of steps per minute, and step length did not differ significantly between MS patients with extra weight and patients at a healthy weight, but those who were overweight or obese took wider steps and spent more time with both feet on the ground. The researchers said this could be because they were more cautious and focused on stability.
While the changes do not reflect overt impairments in walking performance, they may worsen walking issues brought on by MS, suggesting that weight management “may represent an important component of early, comprehensive MS care,” researchers wrote.
The study, “Overweight and obesity: A second functional burden that amplifies gait vulnerability in early multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
Walking, or gait, problems are among the most disabling symptoms of MS and may occur even when overall disability is low. Excess weight can affect walking mechanics in people in general, reducing walking speed and step length and increasing step width and time spent with both feet on the ground.
Excess weight common in MS
Because people with MS are often overweight or obese, the team of researchers in France conducted a prospective study (NCT04837365) to assess how extra weight may affect gait parameters in people with MS.
The study recruited 29 adults with relapsing-remitting MS, the most common type of MS, who were able to walk without major limitations. Seventeen patients were classified as overweight or obese based on body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat derived from height and weight. The remaining 12 were within a healthy weight range.
Participants underwent clinical evaluations and a three-dimensional biomechanical gait analysis, in which researchers used motion-capture cameras and force plates to measure walking patterns. Data showed no significant differences between the two groups in standard walking measures, including walking speed, number of steps per minute, duration of the gait cycle (the time from the moment one foot strikes the ground to the next time that same foot strikes), and step length.
However, patients who were overweight or obese had a significantly wider step than those at a healthy weight. They also spent more of the gait cycle in the stance phase, when the foot is on the ground, and in double-support phases, when both feet are in contact with the ground.
At the same time, they spent less time in single support, when only one foot is on the ground, and less time in the swing phase, when the foot is moving forward. The researchers said this pattern may reflect a cautious walking strategy aimed at improving stability.
More detailed gait analyses also showed that patients who were overweight or obese had changes in hip and knee mechanics.
The findings show that excess weight “does not merely coexist with MS but may amplify its functional consequences, adding a substantial non-neurological burden to an already compromised locomotor system,” the researchers wrote.
They noted that because the study enrolled only patients with relapsing-remitting MS and low disability levels, the findings may not apply to people with progressive MS or more advanced disease.
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