Diet, Lifestyle Interventions Improve Symptoms, Quality of Life for IBD Patients

Joseph Rogers, PhD

A diet and lifestyle focused intervention program results in a number of positive outcomes and symptom improvements for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

A team, led by Joseph Rogers, Romanwell, evaluated the impact of an evidence-based diet and lifestyle-factor intervention program on nutrition status, symptoms, and quality of life for patients with IBD.

The data was presented during the Crohn’s and Colitis Congress 2023 conference in Denver.

In the retrospective, observation study, the investigators de-identified medical records of patients with a self-reported IBD diagnosed, who completed an intervention program consisting of 12-24 one-on-one counseling sessions with an IBD-focused registered dietitian in a group-practice setting.

The team collected SIBQO, MUST, patient-reported symptoms, bowel movement frequency, and consistency measures at baseline and the conclusion of the program, as well as measures of stress, fatigue, sleep quality, and the risk of eating and feeding disorders.

Overall, there were 67 patients that met the inclusion criteria and included in the final analysis. The results show patients with a MUST score greater than 0 at baseline had significantly higher levels of MUST scores decreased at the end of the program (P = 0.004).

The analysis of quality of life measures, show scores were significantly higher with a mean improvement of 18.6 points at the end of the program compared to baseline (P <0.001). Every patient included in the study reported fewer symptoms following the program. This included improvements related to cramping (97.1%), nausea (94.4%), and fatigue (93.8%), while 96.4% of patients experiencing more than 3 bowel movements per day at baseline decreased their bowel movements by the end of the program, with 75% experiencing at most 3 bowel movements per day.

There was also significant improvements in sleep quality (P <0.001), fatigue level (P <0.001), and stress levels (P <0.001).

“This study demonstrates the potential of a nutrition and lifestyle-factor intervention program to improve IBD patient outcomes,” the authors wrote. “Further study is needed to validate these outcomes alongside a comparable control population and in other patient populations such as those associated with a health plan or employer.”

The study, “P085: A DIET AND LIFESTYLE-FACTOR INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL STATUS, SYMPTOMS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE,” was published online by the Crohn’s and Colitis Congress 2023.