Obesity and overweight in patients with hemophilia: Prevalence by age, clinical correlates, and impact on joint bleeding

Background: The prevalence of obesity in patients with hemophilia (PWH) varies among different ethnicities, and its influence on joint bleeding and hemophilic arthropathy has not been studied in Taiwan population. We explored the prevalence and clinical correlates of obesity and the impact of body mass index (BMI) on annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR) and hemophilic arthropathy in PWH in Taiwan. Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical information on 140 severe/40 moderate PWH from 2006 to 2014. The patients’ median age was 31.5 years, ranged from 6 to 73 years. Their BMI, 6 index joints score by Pettersson scoring, AJBR, and other clinical data were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity by age group was 7.1% in PWH aged ≤10 years, and rapidly increased to 34.5% in PWH aged 11 to 18 years, 46.7% in PWH aged 18 to 29 years, 61.8% in PWH aged 30 to 39 years, 60.6% in PWH aged 40 to 49 years, and 48% in PWH aged ≥50 years, respectively. Two peak rates were 72.7% in PWH aged 35 to 44 years and 66.7% in PWH aged >65 years. Age, HCV infection, knee score, elbow score, and total 6 index joints scores were found to correlate positively with BMI. However, subtype and severity of hemophilia, ankle scores, HBV and HIV infection did not correlate with BMI. Finally, BMI was found to correlate positively with AJBR in both adult and pediatric PWH. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescent and adult PWH was higher than those in the general male population in Taiwan, which rapidly increased with age to peak in PWH aged 35 to 44 years and >65 years. High index joint score, with the exception of ankle scores, positively correlated with high BMI. Further, BMI and obesity also had positive correlation with AJBR in PWH. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining these associations in PWH in Taiwan.