Comprehensive nutritional status in recently diagnosed patients with inflammatory bowel disease compared with population controls

Objective: Malnutrition is observed frequently in patients with inflammator y bowel disease (IBD). Knowledge of the nutritional status in patients with recently diagnosed IBD is limited. The aim of this study was to establish a comprehensive picture of the nutritional status in recently diagnosed IBD patients. Subjects: Sixty-nine IBD patients (23 Crohn's disease (CD) and 46 with ulce rative colitis (UC)) within 6 months of diagnosis and 69 age- and sex-march ed population controls were included in the study. Methods: The nutritional status was assessed by: (1) body composition (anth ropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry); (2) dietary intake (dietar y history), (3) biochemical indexes of nutrition; and (4) muscle strength ( isokinetic dynamometer). Results: Body weight and body mass index were significantly lower in CTC pa tients compared with controls. The mean daily intake of carbohydrates was s ignificantly higher in CD patients and the intakes of protein, calcium, pho sphorus, and riboflavin were significantly lower in UC patients compared wi th controls, respectively. Serum concentrations of several nutrients (beta- carotene, magnesium, selenium and zinc) were significantly lower in UC pati ents compared with controls. Serum vitamin B-12 concentration was significa ntly lower in CD patients. Muscle strength did not si,significantly differ between IBD patients and controls. Conclusions: This study showed that the nutritional status of IBD patients was already affected negatively at time of diagnosis. It needs to be elucid ated whether nutritional supplementation in recently diagnosed IBD patients may improve the clinical course of the disease. Sponsorship: This study wa s financially supported by a grant from Novartis Nutrition Ltd, Switzerland . Descriptors: inflammatory bowel disease; nutritional status; body compositi on; dietary intake, antioxidants; muscle strength.