Nutritional Status of Men with Ulcerative Colitis in Remission in a Pair–Matched Case–Control Study

Abstract

The aim of the presented research was to analyze the nutritional status of male subjects with ulcerative colitis in remission by using body composition that was assessed by bioelectrical impedance measurement against a gender-matched control group. Forty-four male patients in remission with ulcerative colitis were recruited for the case-control study and simultaneously, a matched control group of 44 male individuals without inflammatory bowel diseases was pair-matched (general community individuals). The body composition measurement was conducted by the bioelectrical impedance method using BodyComp MF Plus and Bodygram Pro 3.0 software. Parameters assessed include body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW), extracellular body water (EBW), intracellular body water (IBW), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), and the body cell mass (BCM) index. A significant between-group difference was observed only for EBW, where subjects with ulcerative colitis were characterized by a higher mass of extracellular water (p = 0.0405). Individuals with ulcerative colitis were characterized by a lower BCM share than the control group (p = 0.0192). A comparative analysis of the body composition of male patients with ulcerative colitis with those who did not have ulcerative colitis revealed only minor differences. The risk of malnutrition, assessed using both BMI and bioelectrical impedance, in men with ulcerative colitis in remission is the same as in healthy males in the matched general population.