Adipose tissue status in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: diagnostic challenges and clinical significance

The aim of this study. To compare different methods of adipose tissue assessment (body mass index (BMI), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), ultrasound (US)) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Materials and methods. The study included 136 patients with IBD (62 with ulcerative colitis, 74 with Crohn's disease) and 30 control subjects. All participants underwent anthropometry (BMI, circumferences), handgrip strength measurement, BIA, and adipose tissue ultrasound according to a standardized protocol.

Results. According to BMI, overweight and obesity were found in 28.7 % of IBD patients. BIA revealed excess fat mass in 31.9 % of patients; notably, 30.2 % of these individuals had a normal BMI. Ultrasound detected increased adipose tissue in 47.3 % of patients, allowing for differentiation of obesity types. Excess fat was found by ultrasound in 44 % of patients with normal BMI. A negative correlation was found between fat mass percentage and handgrip strength (r= –0.363; p<0.001).

Conclusions. There is a need to include instrumental methods for assessing body composition in the examination algorithms for patients with IBD for timely correction of nutritional status and prevention of complications. The high prevalence of excess fat mass and its association with decreased muscle strength (dynapenia) justify the need for screening for sarcopenic obesity in patients with IBD.

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