Malnutrition in rheumatoid arthritis.
A nutrition study was conducted in thirty-eight hospitalized rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Twenty-seven (71.1%) had a high likelihood of malnutrition (LOM). Laboratory and anthropometric data suggest that multiple vitamin, calory, and protein deficiencies are present. Age, female sex and a poor grip strength correlated with some indices of malnutrition. Fifteen of 18 patients with a high LOM had a bad outcome whereas 3 of 7 patients with a low LOM had a bad outcome. Malnutrition per se may be a contributing factor to increased morbidity and mortality in RA.
Department of Medicine (Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology), School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
R
R
Collins
T L
TL
Dunn
J
J
Walthaw
P
P
Harrell
G S
GS
Alarcon
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies