C0407 - A Prospective Study on the Effect of Dietary Interventions Registered Dietitians on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Scott Manski, MD¹, Nicholas Noverati, MD, MEd¹, Mysty Chacko, PA-C¹, Shuji Mitsuhashi, MD¹, Hema Gandhi, MPH², Melissa Viscuso, RD¹, Emily Rubin, RD¹, Raina Shivashankar, MD^1
1Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; ²Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA

Introduction: The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is multifactorial, and diet may be implicated. While patients (pts) commonly associate diet with symptoms, it is unclear if diet plays a role in disease activity. This study sought to assess the impact of dietary modifications as directed by a registered dietician (RD) on disease activity in IBD pts.

Methods: IBD pts were referred to a gastrointestinal (GI) RD at the discretion of their provider between 11/2020 and 6/2022. At the time of the initial RD visit, pts’ symptoms and quality of life scores were assessed using the irritable bowel severity scoring system (IBS-SSS) and either Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI) or Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI). RD follow-up was as needed. Six weeks after diet implementation, surveys were administered via phone call or email. Pts also assessed their dietary adherence at the 6 week and 3 month time points. Dietary adherence difficulty was assessed on a 10-point scale (10=most difficult). McNemar’s test was used to analyze categorical variables and student’s t-test was used for continuous variables.

Results: Fourteen pts participated in the study, 8 with Crohn’s disease (CD) and 6 with ulcerative colitis (UC); 57% were women. Median age at IBD diagnosis was 27 years (range, 8-60). Half (7/14) of the pts were on biologics. Nine pts had inactive disease based on laboratory, radiographic, and endoscopic data within 6 months of participation. All pts completed their symptom surveys, while 10 pts completed 6 week and 3 month dietary adherence questions. All IBD pts (p=0.024) and those with CD (p=0.048) experienced significant improvement in their IBS-SSS scores from initial visit to week 6 (Table 1). CD and UC pts experienced significant improvement in disease activity scores over 6 weeks (Table 1). CD patients reported fewer loose stools (p=0.046). Six-week dietary adherence was 63% with pt-reported adherence difficulty of 4.25/10, while the 3 month values were 62% adherence and adherence difficulty of 5/10.

Discussion: Dietary interventions may have a role in improving clinical symptoms in IBD pts. In clinical practice, dietary changes may serve as an adjunct to medical therapy. Patients’ reported dietary adherence of >50% with low adherence difficulties extending 3 months from their initial visit, demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary care between GI providers and dietitians. Further data is being collected in a larger cohort of patients to expand on these findings.


Disclosures:


Scott Manski, MD¹, Nicholas Noverati, MD, MEd¹, Mysty Chacko, PA-C¹, Shuji Mitsuhashi, MD¹, Hema Gandhi, MPH², Melissa Viscuso, RD¹, Emily Rubin, RD¹, Raina Shivashankar, MD¹. C0407 - A Prospective Study on the Effect of Dietary Interventions Registered Dietitians on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, ACG 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Charlotte, NC: American College of Gastroenterology.