Intakes of Nutrients and Nutritional Status in Coeliac Patients

Abstract

Background: The intake of nutrients and the nutritional status of untreated coeliac patients and coeliac patients in remission were investigated at Kuopio University Hospital. Methods: Forty untreated and 52 coeliac patients in remission were admitted to the study. The control group included 77 persons. Four-day food records, anthropometric measurements, and blood biochemistry were examined to obtain nutrient intake and nutritional status. Results: Concentrations of scrum ferritin, vitamin B₁₂, and erythrocyte folate were lower in patients with untreated coeliac disease than in those in remission. Altogether, 15-38% of the untreated patients but only 0-20% of the patients in remission had levels of haemoglobin, serum ferritin, iron, vitamin B₁₂, or erythrocyte folate below the reference values. No difference in anthropometric measurements was found between the two groups of coeliac patients.

Conclusions: Except for some subclinical abnormal values in biochemical analyses in 20-38% of coeliac patients, nutritional status was quite normal in both groups of coeliac patients.

Key Words:

• Coeliac disease
• nutrient intake
• nutritional status