Associations Between Pain Intensity and Inflammatory Profile in Women with Android and Gynoid Obesity Diagnosed with Chronic Pain: An Observational Study

TL;DR

This study found that women with gynoid obesity had higher eosinophil counts compared to those with android obesity, suggesting different immune responses despite similar pain and inflammation levels.

Contribution

The study highlights immunological differences between android and gynoid obesity types in women with chronic pain.

Findings

Gynoid obesity was associated with significantly higher eosinophil counts compared to android obesity.

No significant differences were found in pain intensity or most inflammatory markers between the two obesity types.

Both obesity groups showed low-grade inflammation, as indicated by elevated CRP levels.

Abstract

Background: There are different types of obesity, and the metabolic conditions associated with these phenotypes are also heterogeneous. Overweight and obesity are not only associated with pain but are also identified as risk factors for the development of pain. Objective: This study aimed to compare the levels of inflammatory biomarkers, counting of immune cells, and chronic pain between android and gynoid female patients with obesity. Method: Thirty (n = 30) women took part in this study (18 androids, age: 50.61 ± 9.41 and 12 gynoids, age: 50.67 ± 9.45). The participants underwent anamnesis, Visual Numeric Scale (VNS), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and blood sampling for the analysis of leukocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin (IL)-6. Results: The number of total leukocytes in the blood was not different when comparing the android group (6045 µL) with the gynoid group (5230 µL). No differences were observed for neutrophils (3440 µL in android and 3017 µL in gynoid), lymphocytes (2208 µL in android and 2115 µL in gynoid), for monocytes (429.7 µL in android and 392.8 µL in gynoid), and basophils (17.27 µL in android and 15.41 µL in gynoid). However, there was a significant difference between the number of eosinophils when comparing the android group (137.6 µL) with the gynoid group (204.9 µL), p = 0.04. Although both groups presented CRP values above 0.3 mg/dL—indicative of low-grade inflammation—no statistically significant difference was observed. Similarly, no difference was found in pain intensity between groups, as measured by the Visual Numeric Scale (VNS). Conclusions: Although most inflammatory and pain markers did not differ between groups, the higher eosinophil count in the gynoid phenotype suggests immunological distinctions between obesity types. These findings underline the importance of considering body fat distribution in clinical assessments of inflammation and chronic pain in women with obesity.

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