Skeletal Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Quality of Life in Adult Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Comparative Study with Healthy Controls

Abstract

Aim: This study (1) compared skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and muscle strength in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients with those of healthy controls (HCs) and (2) investigated the association of SMM and muscle strength with disease severity and quality of life (QOL). Materials and Methods: This study included 31 FMF patients and 30 matched HCs. Disease severity was evaluated using the International Severity Scoring System for FMF (ISSF). Body composition parameters were measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis. Grip and pinch strengths were calculated for muscle strength. Health status was assessed with Short Form 36 (SF-36). Results: The all-body composition parameters of the FMF patients, including SMM, were similar to those of the HCs, with significantly lower grip and pinch strengths. All SF-36 scores of the FMF patients were significantly lower than those of the HCs. Positive correlations were observed between muscle-related indices and pinch strength for some SF-36 domains. Conclusion: Muscle- or fat-related indices were similar among adult patients with FMF and the HCs. In contrast, patients with FMF had a poorer health-related QOL and lower grip and pinch strengths than the HCs. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical significance of these correlations in patients with FMF.

Keywords

• familial mediterranean fever
• skeletal muscle
• muscle strength
• quality of life
• ailevi akdeniz ateşi
• iskelet kası
• kas kuvveti
• yaşam kalitesi