Assessment of quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease residing in Southern Brazil.

CONTEXT: Chronic diseases have an impact on the quality of life of the individuals. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life of adults with inflammatory bowel disease by the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire certified for Portuguese language. METHODS: We interviewed 50 individuals from both genders aged from 18 to 60 years old, with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, regardless of disease activity. RESULTS: The average age of the sample was 42.2 ± 13.6 years old, the disease length was 98.8 ± 74.3 months, and 72% of patients had Crohn's disease and 14% presented disease activity. There was no significant difference in questionnaire scores of patients with different inflammatory bowel disease when they are in the remission phase (172.0 ± 42.4 and 173.6 ± 28.2 for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively, P = 0.886). When compared to scores of patients who were in crisis, it was found that they have a lower quality of life that patients in remission (123.8 ± 44.5 and 173.3 ± 31.5 for patients in crisis and remission, respectively, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was noticed that the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease did not differ among patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, when patients are in remission. The main aspect which determines the loss of quality of life would be being at the stage of disease activity.

Assessment of quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease residing in Southern Brazil / Avaliação da qualidade de vida de pacientes com doença inflamatória intestinal residentes no sul do Brasil

CONTEXT: Chronic diseases have an impact on the quality of life of the individuals. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life of adults with inflammatory bowel disease by the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire certified for Portuguese language. METHODS: We interviewed 50 individuals from both genders aged from 18 to 60 years old, with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, regardless of disease activity. RESULTS: The average age of the sample was 42.2 ± 13.6 years old, the disease length was 98.8 ± 74.3 months, and 72 percent of patients had Crohn's disease and 14 percent presented disease activity. There was no significant difference in questionnaire scores of patients with different inflammatory bowel disease when they are in the remission phase (172.0 ± 42.4 and 173.6 ± 28.2 for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively, P = 0.886). When compared to scores of patients who were in crisis, it was found that they have a lower quality of life that patients in remission (123.8 ± 44.5 and 173.3 ± 31.5 for patients in crisis and remission, respectively, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was noticed that the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease did not differ among patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, when patients are in remission. The main aspect which determines the loss of quality of life would be being at the stage of disease activity.

CONTEXTO: As doenças inflamatórias intestinais são doenças crônicas e, com isso, podem exercer impacto sobre a qualidade de vida do indivíduo. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de adultos com doenças inflamatórias intestinais, através do Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire -validado para a língua portuguesa, e comparar esta resposta entre pacientes com a doença em atividade ou não. MÉTODOS: Foram entrevistados 50 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 18 e 60 anos. RESULTADOS: A média de idade da amostra foi de 42,2 + 13,6 anos, o tempo da doença foi de 98,8 + 74,3 meses e 72 por cento destes indivíduos tinham doença de Crohn. Sete indivíduos relataram estar no momento da atividade da doença, mas não houve diferença significativa entre o tempo de doença e o estado nutricional quando comparados os pacientes com atividade e em remissão da doença. Não foi verificada diferença significativa na pontuação do questionário dos pacientes com as diferentes doenças inflamatórias intestinais quando estes estão na fase remissiva (172 + 42,4 e 173,6 + 28,2 para retocolite ulcerativa e doença de Crohn, respectivamente, P = 0,886). Quando comparada a pontuação dos pacientes que estavam em crise, verificou-se que esses apresentam menor qualidade de vida do que os pacientes em remissão (123,8 + 44,5 e 173,3 + 31,5 para os pacientes em crise e em remissão, respectivamente, P = 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: Foi possível verificar que a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com doenças inflamatórias intestinais não difere quando diagnosticadas nas suas duas classificações, quando os pacientes estão na remissão. O aspecto principal para determinação de um prejuízo na qualidade de vida seria estar na fase da atividade da doença.

Comparison between handgrip strength, subjective global assessment, anthropometry, and biochemical markers in assessing nutritional status of patients with Crohn's disease in clinical remission.

INTRODUCTION: Crohn's disease (CD) may lead to protein and calorie malnutrition (PCM) secondary to impaired digestive and absorptive functions of the small intestine and sometimes to the influence of diet taboos. The earlier the PCM is diagnosed, the higher are the odds of reversal. The objective of this study was to compare different methods of nutritional assessment in patients with CD and correlate them with the disease characteristics. SAMPLE: The sample comprised 75 patients with CD from the Gastroenterology Service at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre; 37 were male, with a mean age of 38.2 years old (SD = 13.3). All patients had been in clinical remission (CDAI <150) for over 3 months. They were not receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition. The nutritional assessment was considered: body mass index (BMI), triceps skin fold (TSF), arm circumference (MAC), arm muscle circumference (MAMC), subjective global assessment (SGA), non-dominating handgrip strength (HGS) and food intake inquiries. RESULTS: When comparing the different nutritional assessment methods, 26.7% of the patients were malnourished according to the MAC, 29.3% according to the MAMC, 18.7% according to the SGA, 6.7% according to the BMI, 37.3% according to the TSF and 73.3% according to the HGS. No statistically significant associations were found for disease location, its behavior, drugs utilized, ESR, CRP, age of patients and disease time with the nutritional state verified by HGS, TSF, MAMC and SGA. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malnutrition is significant in patients with CD, even in clinical remission. The BMI should not be used as reference in this population. The HGS detected a high prevalence of nutritional risk in patients with CD in remission. Studies are required that correlate it with more sensitive methods, for the patients' effective nutritional state assessment.