Body mass index influence interferon-beta treatment response in multiple sclerosis

Obesity is a possible risk factor of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the association between obesity and MS disease activity has not been explored. In a cohort of 86 MS patients, 80% of overweight or obese patients (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) had MRI activity compared to 48% of the normal-weight patients (BMI < 25 kg/m2) (p = 0.001) during interferon-beta treatment. NEDA-status (no evidence of disease activity) was defined as a composite that consisted of absence of any relapses, sustained disability-progression and MRI-activity. Among normal-weight patients 26% obtained NEDA-status compared to only 13% of patients with BMI > 25 (p = 0.05). This may indicate that BMI affects interferon-beta treatment response.