In a prospective US cohort of 450 patients with early systemic sclerosis (SSc; <5 years disease duration), linear mixed-effects models were used over a mean 5.3-year follow-up to identify baseline predictors of serial BMI measurements.
In the multivariable model, three factors were independently associated with lower BMI: intestinal pseudo-obstruction (β = −6.28, P = 0.032), smaller oral aperture (β = 0.95 per unit increase, P = 0.049), and higher Medsger vascular severity score (β = −0.85, P = 0.022).
- BMI is a crude proxy for nutritional status and may miss body composition changes specific to SSc. - Observational design limits causal inference; residual confounding is possible. - Single-country (US) cohort may limit generalizability to other populations or healthcare systems.
Screen SSc patients for reduced oral aperture, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and high vascular severity scores early — these are independent warning signs for nutritional decline. Targeted nutritional support and closer monitoring should be prioritized in patients carrying these features.
