Can being over normal BMI weight cause MGUS to progress faster?

There is some limited research that suggests MGUS progresses faster in overweight and obese people.But this is not a “sure” thing. I have had MGUS for more than 22 years and have been overweight all that time. Obviously, it has not progressed.
I do eat a vegan diet but will indulge in seafood and have no fat yogurt and milk daily. I exercise daily (walk 3-4 miles and swim in our pool) and take both zocor (a statin drug) and celebrex - both of which are supposed to offer preventative benefits.
So it is good to lose weight but some of us have more problems than others!

Thanks for your reply

@amyboylan1, for others reading here, I'd also like to insert a link to another discussion you started as well as others about diet and MGUS

- Does plant-based eating lower chances of MGUS progressing to myeloma? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/plant-based-eating-to-lower-the-chance-of-mgus-progressing-to-myeloma/
- MGUS diet: Any tips on food to enjoy or prevent progression?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mgus-bgus-diet/
- What’s the science on diet and MGUS/SMM?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/whats-the-science-on-diet-and-mgussmm/
I rephrased the title of this current discussion to better reflect your question. You are concerned about your weight and potentially causing the progression of MGUS. As a non-medical professional, I'd like to sit across from you, offer you a cup of tea and just have a chat. Here's some of the things I'd say.

Good for you for taking care of your mental health along with your physical health. You're taking anti-depressants because you and your doctor likely talked about how they can help take the edge of and help you manage better. It's true that some people gain weight on anti-depressants and it can be a real struggle to lose it. That's okay! Eat well and worry less.

Deep breath!

You've read that being overweight "might" cause progression of MGUS. As @hsminc kindly pointed out, the research is limited. I suggest focusing less on being over a normal BMI and more on eating well. Enjoy good food and forget the scales.

Deep breath!
Focus on living. Eat good foods, stay active socially and physically, and do things you enjoy. What are some activities that you enjoy that keep you active with other people?

Diagnosed in 2016 with MGUS, still expect to ring in the New Year, during which I'll turn 87. I've had fatigue off and on but basically no change in numbers. Overweight all my adult life - in my early 30s 287. Mostly in the 195-230 range, with a big dip during the pandemic when I got into the 170s on a very determined keto diet. I do a fair amount of exercise and try to eat low-carb though I gain slowly but steadily if I'm not on keto, which I find very difficult - have v. little tolerance for carbs. Now 190s and trying to get to 170. My hematologist has never said a word about diet and MGUS, just that progression is rare. And I have been one of the lucky ones...

As a general statement, being overweight is suggested to make whatever disease or condition people have somewhat worse or more evident, etc. The more overweight they are usually the higher the risk. Being overweight is often associated with eating foods that are not on what would be considered a "healthy list"—high-calorie (and sugar/fat) foods, fast food, fried foods, etc.

These all cause inflammation, and inflammation is not helpful for any disease. With MGUS and cancers, many studies suggest or have proven that lowering inflammation, eating a low-inflammatory diet, exercising, and maintaining a normal weight will all help either prevent the disease itself or improve the symptoms and severity of symptoms or progression in many diseases.

It's similar to a person saying "Does smoking or drinking alcohol make my disease worse?" In most cases (peripheral neuropathy and cancers both) it is suggested that the patient NOT smoke or drink alcohol, to help improve their risks and/or their symptoms. Exceptions exist where a person smokes 3 packs of cigarettes for 50 years and never gets sick or has cancer, etc. They are rare. I would rather err on the side of doing what has a better chance of helping my situation rather than hurting it. It's a choice people make.

@amyboylan1 An interesting question! From where I sit, currently under treatment for multiple myeloma, and on daily dialysis for end-stage renal disease, I try to look at my general health rather than specific numbers. After all, they are just numbers generated by plugging in certain parameters, and do not take into account an individual being. Is my BMI above "normal"? Yes. Do I feel healthy? Yes, given my circumstances.

Gaining weight from anti-depressants can happen. Getting into a regular exercise routine can help with not only the depression but your healthy weight. Attacking your general health with good habits that fit for you [diet, exercise, accurate medications, mental health concerns] is an individual thing, and we each have different outcomes. Being mindful of how we might respond in any given situation can help us focus on what will be best for us. Should I get outside and walk today? Yes, but my knee is still bothering me and I am afraid I might lose my balance, so I will be careful about my food intake today, and try for that walk tomorrow.

Your basic question of whether above normal BMI will cause MGUS to progress faster, well, my thought is that taking care of yourself and being as healthy as you can will cause any disease process to slow.

Good luck determining what will work best for you. That can take work to figure out! IMNSHO [in my not so humble opinion] what works for you may not work best for someone else. That is why we are here, to share our experiences!

I have full blown Waldenstroms lymphoma and on Imbruvica for over 6 months and prednisone. Just prescribed Rixience. Is it an infusion? Side effects

There's research showing that the overweight effect on health disappears beyond age 80.

By age 80 I would guess the damage has been done!

That does not mean that for all those people in their 40s-60s and beyond, maintaining a healthy BMI is not helpful and healthier for them in all respects, not just cancer-wise.

Thank you! Yes, you have to figure it out for yourself. Obesity is such a complex disease, and it has any number of causes and components. Long ago I figured out that I had this problem that was incredibly difficult to solve, and that I had better work on other elements of my health status. You always need to exercise, stop smoking (the hardest, but you only have to do it once successfully and you're done, it's not a daily fight like food), watch the alcohol, and especially watch the diet. Had I not gone low carb, I think I would have diabetes as well. By going low-carb, I inadvertently ended up eating a very high oxalate diet and got kidney stones - and I desperately miss my spinach.
I'll never stop trying to lose weight, but I am very heartened to know that I'm six years beyond the point where it counts as an important factor in my general health. The single most important thing I've done, in my opinion, aside from stopping smoking, is to eat only good fats - natural fats in their natural state, the traditional ones the world over. Good for your cell walls, good for your hormones, just good food.
I haven't checked the figures lately, but in the original tables on acrylamide (cancer-causing chemical) in potato chips, you could see that the brands fried in lard had very minimal levels and ones cooked in heavily processed fats had very high levels.