Final Height and Body Composition of Adolescent Patients with Coeliac Disease

Overview

The authors are concerned, within the framework of a long-term project, with the growth and b ody compositionof patients with coeliac disease after completed growth. Patients where the diagnosis was established early andwho were treated on a long-term basis with a gluten-free diet can according the author’s findings fully attain theirinherited growth potential. The patients reach middle values of the final height of the contemporary nationalanthropometric standard. Intersexual differences in SDS of height were not found.Patients with coeliac disease with completed growth are however characterized by stati stically significantlylower values of body weight and body mass index (BMI). Adolescent patients with completed growth are, ascompared with the standard of the Czech Republic, slimmer, the deviation cannot be evaluated however asclinically significant. The authors provided evidence that the body composition of adolescent patients with coeliacdisease is influenced by „compliance“ with the gluten-free diet - patients who did not adhere strictly to the diethave a significantly lower body weight as compared with patients who adhere to the diet. Patients who adherestrictly to the diet have a significantly higher amount of body fat as compared with the healthy standard as wellas with patients not adhering to the diet.Analysis of the body composition revealed that the long-term effect of the gluten-free diet - the altered diet doesnot have an impact on skeletal growth but only on building of soft tissues. The underweight of patients with coeliacdisease is associated with the below average development of musculature, not adipose tissue. The findings,consistent with recent literature published are a contribution to discussions on the optimal character of thegluten-free diet.

Key words:
coeliac disease, growth, body composition, gluten-free diet, diet compliance, adolescence