Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The role of body composition in diverticular disease

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
International Journal of Colorectal Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Diverticular disease is a common, chronic inflammatory disease of the bowel. This study investigates the differences in body composition between patients with diverticular disease and those without.

Methods

Appropriate patients were identified using a search of the radiology database. Demographic and disease information was gathered using scanned medical records. Body composition analysis was performed at level L3 using single-slice computed tomography techniques.

Results

Two hundred seventy-one patients were included in this study: 83 controls, 93 with diverticulosis and 95 with diverticulitis. Diverticulitis and diverticulosis were associated with a significantly higher visceral fat area (VFA), than the control group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Diverticulitis and diverticulosis were associated with a significantly higher visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area ratio (VFA:SCFA), than the control group (p = 0.005, p = 0.019). Only diverticulosis was associated with increased levels of extramyocellular fat, when compared to the control group (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Diverticular disease is associated with a higher amount and a higher proportion of visceral fat than seen in controls without diverticular disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Etzioni DA, Mack TM, Beart RW, Jr., Kaiser AM. Diverticulitis in the United States: 1998-2005: changing patterns of disease and treatment. Ann Surg 2009;249(2):210–217

  2. Rees BI, Bond J, Spriggs TL, Hughes LE (1980) Observations on the muscle abnormality of the human sigmoid colon in diverticular disease. Br J Clin Pharmacol 9(3):229–232

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Banerjee S, Akbar N, Moorhead J, Rennie JA, Leather AJ, Cooper D et al (2007) Increased presence of serotonin-producing cells in colons with diverticular disease may indicate involvement in the pathophysiology of the condition. Int J Color Dis 22(6):643–649

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Tursi A, Elisei W, Brandimarte G, Giorgetti GM, Inchingolo CD, Nenna R, Picchio M, Giorgio F, Ierardi E (2012) Musosal tumour necrosis factor alpha in diverticular disease of the colon is overexpressed with disease severity. Color Dis 14(5):e258–e263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hall JF (2014) The microbiome and diverticulitis: a new target for medical therapy? Dis Colon Rectum 57(4):544–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Strate LL, Liu YL, Aldoori WH, Syngal S, Giovannucci EL (2009) Obesity increases the risks of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. Gastroenterology 136(1):115–22.e1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Winkler G, Kiss S, Keszthelyi L, Sapi Z, Ory I, Salamon F, Kovacs M, Vargha P, Szekeres O, Speer G, Karadi I, Sikter M, Kaszas E, Dworak O, Gero G, Cseh K (2003) Expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha protein in the subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in correlation with adipocyte cell volume, serum TNF-alpha, soluble serum TNF-receptor-2 concentrations and C-peptide level. Eur J Endocrinol 149(2):129–135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Visser M, Bouter LM, McQuillan GM, Wener MH, Harris TB (1999) Elevated C-reactive protein levels in overweight and obese adults. JAMA 282(22):2131–2135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Goodpaster BH, Thaete FL, Kelley DE (2000) Thigh adipose tissue distribution is associated with insulin resistance in obesity and in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr 71(4):885–892

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Goodpaster BH, Krishnaswami S, Resnick H, Kelley DE, Haggerty C, Harris TB, Schwartz AV, Kritchevsky S, Newman AB (2003) Association between regional adipose tissue distribution and both type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in elderly men and women. Diabetes Care 26(2):372–379

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Addison O, Marcus RL, LaStayo PC, Ryan AS (2014) Intermuscular fat: a review of the consequences and causes. Int J Endocrinol 2014:11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lee SP, Ahn YW, Lee OY, Lee KN (2014) The relationship between colonic diverticulosis and abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat accumulation measured by abdominal CT scan. Turk J Gastroenterol 25(2):192–197

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Nagata N, Sakamoto K, Arai T, Niikura R, Shimbo T, Shinozaki M, Aoki T, Sekine K, Okubo H, Watanabe K, Sakurai T, Yokoi C, Akiyama J, Yanase M, Noda M, Itoh T, Mizokami M, Uemura N (2015) Visceral abdominal obesity measured by computed tomography is associated with increased risk of colonic diverticulosis. J Clin Gastroenterol 49(10):816–822

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge with gratitude the valuable advice from A/Prof Frances Milat (Monash Health, Monash University, Hudson Institute) and A/Prof Amanda Vincent (Monash Health, Monash University) regarding body composition alterations in disease.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Julia Freckelton, Daniel Croagh & Gregory Moore

  2. Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Unit, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Darcy Holt & Adina Borsaru

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    StellaMay Gwini

  4. Department of Surgery, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Daniel Croagh

  5. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, 246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Gregory Moore

Authors
  1. Julia Freckelton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Darcy Holt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adina Borsaru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. StellaMay Gwini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Daniel Croagh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Gregory Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Freckelton.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Freckelton, J., Holt, D., Borsaru, A. et al. The role of body composition in diverticular disease. Int J Colorectal Dis 33, 1299–1302 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-018-3058-y

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-018-3058-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation