Effect of a caloric supplement in malnourished patients with Crohn's disease

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of adding a caloric supplement to the daily diet of malnourished outpatients with Crohn's disease in remission. Seven underweight patients following a one month period of weight-maintenance diet took 10 KCal/kg Ideal body weight/day of a nutritionally complete preparation (carbohydrates 82%, proteins 10%) as supplement for 2 months. At the end of this period, a significant increase in body weight (mean 3 ± 0.3%) as well as a sum of 10 skinfolds (mean 13.1 ± 4.0%) were observed. No significant change in arm muscle circumference was recorded. All the patients then continued with their weight-maintenance diet alone for a further 2 months and during this period a mean decrease of 0.65 ± 0.7% of body weight occurred. A caloric supplement may be a means of increasing body weight and anthromometric variables in underweight patients with Crohn's disease.