Undernutrition in Crohn's disease: an anthropometric assessment.

Anthropometric measurements of weight, arm-muscle area and arm-fat area were assessed in 106 unselected patients with Crohn's disease, and related to centiles derived from the United States Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1971-1974. Results were compared with those obtained in 106 patients with ulcerative colitis and 106 healthy subjects, age and sex-matched with the Crohn's patients. Measurements in healthy subjects and in patients with ulcerative colitis showed a normal centile distribution with the expected proportion falling below the 5th centile. In contrast, a significantly higher proportion of patients with Crohn's disease had measurements below the 5th centile, indicating depleted muscle and fat stores.