Carrying excess fat around the abdominal area can increase women’s risk of chronic pain by as much as 60%, a new study has found.
There is already evidence to suggest that carrying fat around the middle – an area which contains the liver and pancreas – can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Now new research has found that fat in this area can also be linked to a heightened risk of chronic pain, particularly among women.
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Researchers looked at data from more than 32,000 British adults with an average age of 55.
MRI scans of participants’ abdomens were used to measure the amount of visceral fat around the liver and pancreas. Measurements were also taken of subcutaneous fat – the fat that is found just under the skin and can be pinched.
The participants were asked to report any pain in their neck or shoulder, back, hip, knee or all over their body that lasted more than three months.
The assessments were carried out again two years later in 638 people from the original group.
The research team reported that the more fat around the abdominal area, the greater the chance of reported pain. This higher risk was also seen in people who were overweight with a higher body mass index (BMI).
The findings were particularly significant in women, with women 60% more likely to report chronic pain if they had higher fat levels, compared to women with lower fat levels. The figure for men was 13%.
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The authors, from the University of Western Australia, concluded: “Higher levels of adipose tissue [fat] were associated with greater odds of reporting chronic pain in both sexes.
“The effect estimates were relatively larger in women than in men.”
The authors said the difference in sexes could be due to differences in “fat distribution and hormones” and said that losing weight in this area “may be considered a target for chronic pain management, particularly in those with pain in multiple sites and widespread pain”.
The team point out that extra fat could trigger inflammation, which can impact the the nervous system and people’s experience of pain.
