title: Gastrointestinal symptoms in scleroderma patients and its influence in body mass index and quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scleroderma (SSc) gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms may affect nutritional status and patients' quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study prevalence of GI symptoms and its relationship to nutritional profile and quality of life of patients with SSc.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty two SSc patients and 51 controls were studied for BMI (body mass index), dietary recall, major GI symptoms and quality of life by SF-12 questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI in scleroderma patients was lower than controls (p=0.02) despite an almost similar food intake. Scleroderma patients had higher prevalence of upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms than controls (heartburn, nausea and vomiting, dysphagia and epigastric pain) that were not associated with BMI (p= 0.36) but diminished quality of life (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSc patients have a lower BMI than controls and higher prevalence of GI symptoms that does not affect food intake but diminishes quality of life.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skare
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Culpi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yokoo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011788:Quality of Life; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology