Nutritional status and bioelectrical phase angle assessment in adult Crohn disease patients receiving anti-TNFα therapy.

Background: Altered body composition is frequently observed in Crohn's disease (CD) patients.

Aims: To investigate the nutritional status, and the effect of different therapeutic regimes in adult CD patients.

Methods: Fat free mass (FFM) and BIA-derived phase angle (PhA) were assessed in 45 CD patients, 22 on conventional therapy (CT) and 23 on maintenance therapy with infliximab (MT).

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease and obesity, where is the link?

The confluence between the increased prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and of obesity has generated great interest in the association between these two conditions. Several studies have addressed the potential relationship between GERD and obesity, but the exact mechanism by which obesity causes reflux disease still remains to be clearly defined. A commonly suggested pathogenetic pathway is the increased abdominal pressure which relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, thus exposing the esophageal mucosal to gastric content.