INTAKES OF NUTRIENTS AND NUTRITIONAL-STATUS IN CELIAC PATIENTS

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 serum ferritin, vitamin B-12, 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 B-12, 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.