Moderate chronic pain, weight and dietary intake in African-American adult patients with sickle cell disease

In this exploratory study, we evaluated weight status and dietary intake patterns during painful episodes in adult patients with SCD. Specifically, we explored the relation between pain severity and body mass index (BMI), and we tested the hypothesis that dietary intake would be reduced and dietary content altered during periods of increased pain. We conducted an analysis of survey data from 62 patients involved in a longitudinal evaluation of the relationship of medical and psychosocial factors to pain. Nearly half of patients with SCD were overweight, and 20% were obese. BMI was positively related to interference associated with pain. Although BMI was not statistically associated with reported pain severity, >40% of patients reported that they perceived their pain to be affected by their weight. Less than 20% of patients reported that they perceived that their weight affected their pain. Regarding dietary patterns, the majority of patients reported eating less during episodes of pain and significantly decreasing their intake of fats and proteins. We conclude that there is a need to better understand the relation among weight, dietary patterns and pain in patients with SCD in order to provide patients with accurate education and effective treatment recommendations for managing their disease and reducing current and future risks of lifestyle and disease-related morbidities.