title: Malnutrition affects quality of life in gastroenterology patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between malnutrition and quality of life in patients with benign gastrointestinal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred patients (104 wellnourished and 96 malnourished) were assessed according to the Subjective Global Assessment, anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Quality of life was determined with the validated Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey (SF 36). Muscle function was assessed by hand grip strength and peak flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index, body cell mass, arm muscle area and hand grip strength were significantly lower in the malnourished patients. Quality of life was generally lower when compared to norm values. Seven out of eight quality of life scales (excluding bodily pain) were significantly reduced in the malnourished patients. Comparing patients with liver cirrhosis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), patients with IBD experienced significantly lower values in the perception of bodily pain,social functioning and mental health. Malnourished liver cirrhotics suffered reductions in more scales (six out of eight) than malnourished IBD patients did (four out of eight).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life is generally low in benign gastrointestinal disease and is further reduced in patients who are classified as malnourished. It appears that liver cirrhosis patients experience a higher quality of life than IBD patients do, but the impact of malnutrition seems to be greater in liver cirrhosis than in IBD.
authors.affiliation: Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Endokrinologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Mitte, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lochs
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirlich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010146:Pain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires