Body composition differences between adults with multiple sclerosis and BMI-matched controls without MS.

This was a secondary analysis of existing data, and only 51 matched pairs could be included, so the male subgroup was small. The combined male and female analysis did not show body composition differences; the male findings came from sex-specific analyses and are preliminary. The female differences were not significant, and the authors noted the sample size may have been too small to detect them. Participants had to be ambulatory and able to exercise, so results may not apply to people with more severe MS or mobility impairment. Physical activity, physical function, and comorbidities were not available for the whole sample, so the study cannot say why body composition differed. DXA cannot measure visceral, intermuscular, or liver fat, so cardiometabolic risk explanations remain uncertain. The study is observational, so it cannot show that MS caused body composition differences.

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not name a sponsor or funding source.

Do not conclude that MS causes men to have less muscle and more fat. The overall comparison across men and women showed no clear body composition difference, and the male findings came from a small sex-specific analysis of existing data.