Weight and BMI Patterns in a Biologicals-Treated IBD Cohort.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Biologic therapies are crucial for managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Previous research linked TNF-alpha inhibitors to weight gain, but the cause (drug class or disease control) remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate weight changes in IBD patients undergoing different biologic therapies.
• To differentiate between therapy-specific weight gain and weight gain due to improved disease control.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 294 adult IBD patients treated with biologics for at least 12 months (2008-2020).
• Examined weight changes across specific biologic agents: Infliximab (IFX), Adalimumab (ADA), Vedolizumab (VDZ), and Ustekinumab (UST).
• Explored relationships between weight outcomes and predictive factors like BMI, gender, CRP, and albumin.

Main Results:

• Significant weight gain observed with Infliximab (IFX) and Vedolizumab (VDZ) over time.
• Infliximab (IFX) and Vedolizumab (VDZ) groups showed greater weight gain compared to Adalimumab (ADA).
• A small subset (5%) experienced marked weight gain (average 24.3 kg), predominantly on IFX; factors like high baseline BMI, female gender, low CRP, and high albumin reduced this risk.

Conclusions:

• Weight gain in biologic-treated IBD patients is associated with both clinical factors and specific therapies.
• Therapy-specific effects, rather than solely disease control, likely contribute to weight changes observed with certain biologics.