Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients with low inflammatory activity have increased adiposity.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), its subtypes and disease activity on anthropometric measurements, body composition, and nutritional parameters.

METHOD

A cross-sectional cohort of 40 JIA patients, aged 3-10 years, was compared with 40 healthy children matched for age and gender. Concentrations of nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers in the blood, anthropometric measures, and clinical status were recorded and the parents filled in a 7-day food diary and completed the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ).

RESULTS

The JIA patients had low disease activity: 60% had inactive disease, the median CHAQ score was 0.125, and the median erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 6 mm/h. Significantly higher values for central and peripheral adiposity were found in JIA patients compared with in healthy controls [waist circumference mean (SD) 55.9 (4.9) vs. 53.4 (3.7) cm, p < 0.0001, and biceps skinfold thickness 6.2 (2.3) vs. 5.3 (1.7) cm, p = 0.035, respectively], and obesity/overweight was more common (30% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.056, respectively) despite no differences in weight-for-height. The intake of energy (kcal/day) was significantly higher in the JIA patients (p = 0.036). The nutritional biomarkers were comparable in both groups. The JIA subtype and disease activity did not affect body composition, energy intake, or the nutritional biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

Even JIA patients with low disease activity have a higher central and peripheral adiposity and a higher energy intake than their healthy peers. Neither disease subtype nor disease activity had any association with changes in body composition.