Determination of Lipid Profile and Anthropometric Measurements of Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Controlled Descriptive Study

Abstract

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Lipid profile and anthropometric measurements might differ for patients with MS and healthy people. This study aimed to compare the lipid profiles and anthropometric measurements of patients with MS and healthy participants. Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a controlled descriptive study, consisting of 392 people (196 patients in the MS-MS group, and 196 healthy volunteers in the control group) who presented to a state hospital in Turkey. Blood samples were collected and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides) were analyzed. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios were calculated, and the parameters were compared between the groups. The relationship between the parameters and the presence of MS was investigated. Results: The weights, heights, hip circumferences, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios of the people differed statistically significantly between the groups (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of the considered lipid profiles. The difference between the BMI values of males in the control and MS groups was statistically significant (p=0.006). Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that anthropometric measurements of patients with MS differ significantly from healthy individuals, although no significant difference could be observed in terms of lipid profiles. Most of the findings of this study are consistent with the literature and suggest that the anthropometric changes in individuals should be followed regularly to prevent a possible MS risk.