Spagnuolo R¹, Montalcini T², De Bonis D³, Ferro Y⁴, Cosco C⁵, Mazza E⁶, Romeo S^7,8, Doldo P⁹, Pujia A¹⁰. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 1;11(2). pii: E303. doi: 10.3390/nu11020303.

Author information

1 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. spagnuolo@unicz.it.

2 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. tmontalcini@unicz.it.

3 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. daniele.db@gmail.com.

4 Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Nutrition Unit, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. yferro@unicz.it.

5 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. cosco.cristina@libero.it.

6 Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Nutrition Unit, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. elisamazza@inwind.it.

7 Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Nutrition Unit, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. romeo@unicz.it.

8 Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden. romeo@unicz.it.

9 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. doldo@unicz.it.

10 Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Nutrition Unit, University Magna Grecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. pujia@unicz.it.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Most studies focused on the benefits of weight loss on hepatic steatosis and no studies have been specifically designed to assess the role of weight gain on the development of liver steatosis in patients affected by inflammatory bowel diseases. The aim of this study was to analyse the relation between weight change over time and liver steatosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a population of 89 ambulatory patients in clinical remission or affected by mild disease, as determined from disease activity indices, with at least one follow-up visit. Transient elastography was used to quantify liver steatosis.

RESULTS: A total of 49 individuals (55%) were overweight/obese at baseline. A significant difference in weight change was found between participants that improved, were stable and worsened, over a mean follow-up of four years. (-1.0 kg ± 4; 2.5 kg ± 6; and 5.4 kg ± 5; respectively, p = 0.009). We found a greater probability of worsening in the hepatic fat content in individuals who gained more than 6% of body weight than in those gaining less than this value (log?rank (Mantel?Cox) χ² test = 9.85; df = 1; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: A body weight gain of 6% increases the probability of deterioration in liver steatosis over a period of four years in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Weight gain prevention with lifestyle interventions may be the cornerstone treatment of these patients.