{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:06:03Z","timestamp":1753891563783,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,24]],"date-time":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637712000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Objective:<\/jats:bold> To study the effect of obesity on retinal structures in African Americans (AAs) and Caucasian Americans (CAs) with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methodology:<\/jats:bold> About 136 patients with RRMS without history of optic neuritis were divided into two groups, based on body mass index (BMI): 67 obese (40 AA, 27 CA, mean BMI \u00b1 SD: 36.7 \u00b1 5.8), and 69 non-obese (23 AA, 46 CA, mean BMI \u00b1 SD: 24.0 \u00b1 3.1). The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness was quantified by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and was segmented into quadrant thickness: superior (S), inferior (I), temporal (T), and nasal (N). Papillomacular bundle (PMB) thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell + inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), inner nuclear (INL), outer plexiform (OPL), outer nuclear (ONL), and total macular (TMV) volumes were obtained.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:<\/jats:bold> Obesity was associated with lower T thickness (58.54 \u00b1 15.2 vs. 61.9 12.4, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.044), higher INL (0.98 \u00b1 0.07 vs. 0.96 \u00b1 0.06, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.034), and lower RNFL (0.77 \u00b1 0.14 vs. 0.82 \u00b1 0.12, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.009) volumes. Obese AA had significantly thinner T (58.54 \u00b1 15.19 vs. 61.91 \u00b1 12.39, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.033), N (68.94 \u00b1 2.7 vs. 77.94 \u00b1 3.3, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.044), and TMV (8.15 \u00b1 0.07 vs. 8.52 \u00b1 0.09, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.003), RNFL (0.74 \u00b1 0.02 vs. 0.82 \u00b1 0.02, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.013), OPL (0.76 \u00b1 0.01 vs. 0.79 \u00b1 0.1, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.050), ONL (1.68 \u00b1 0.031 vs. 1.79 \u00b1 0.038, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.026), and GCIPL (1.78 \u00b1 0.04 vs. 1.9 \u00b1 0.05, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.038) compared to obese CA. Among patients with non-obesity, the ONL was significantly lower in AA (1.78 \u00b1 0.04 vs. 1.9 \u00b1 0.05, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.001).<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusions:<\/jats:bold> Obesity is associated with retinal structure abnormalities in patients with RRMS. Its impact might be more prominent in AA than CA. Large longitudinal studies are needed to validate our findings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2021.743592","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,30]],"date-time":"2021-11-30T17:17:46Z","timestamp":1638292666000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Effect of Obesity on Retinal Integrity in African Americans and Caucasian Americans With Relapsing Multiple 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