Body Composition in Patients with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND The nutritional status of individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases is directly related to the severity of the disease and is associated with poor prognosis and the deterioration of immune competence. OBJECTIVE To assess the nutritional status and the body composition of outpatients with inflammatory bowel diseases. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with clinical and nutritional assessment of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients were classified according to the clinical activity through Crohn's Disease Activity Index and Mayo Score. Nutritional assessment consisted of anthropometric measurements of current weight, height, mid-arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and thickness of adductor policis muscle, with subsequent calculation of BMI, arm muscle circumference and the mid-arm muscle area (MAMA). The phase angle (PhA) and lean and fat mass were obtained with the use of electrical bioimpedance. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test or Fisher exact test, ANOVA and t-test. RESULTS We evaluated 141 patients of which 54 (38.29%) had Crohn's disease and 87 (61.70%) ulcerative colitis. The mean age was 43.98 (±15.68) years in Crohn's disease and 44.28 (±16.29) years for ulcerative colitis. Most of the patients were in clinical remission of the disease (Crohn's disease: 88.89%; ulcerative colitis: 87.36%). Regarding the nutritional classification using BMI, it was found that 48.15% of Crohn's disease patients were eutrophic and 40.74% were overweight or obese; among patients with ulcerative colitis, 52.87% were classified as overweight or obese. When considering the triceps skinfold, it was observed in both groups a high percentage of overweight and obesity (Crohn's disease: 75.93%; ulcerative colitis: 72.42%). Crohn's disease patients showed the most affected nutritional status according to the nutritional variables when compared to patients with ulcerative colitis (BMI: 24.88 kg/m² x BMI: 26.56 kg/m², P=0.054; MAMA: 35.11 mm x MAMA: 40.39 mm, P=0.040; PhA: 6.46° x PhA: 6.83°, P=0.006). CONCLUSION Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Crohn's disease patients had more impaired anthropometric and body composition indicators when compared to patients with ulcerative colitis.