PD364 - THE CONTROLLING NUTRITIONAL STATUS SCORE IN PREDICTING ULCERATIVE COLITIS ACTIVITY

PD364

THE CONTROLLING NUTRITIONAL STATUS SCORE IN PREDICTING ULCERATIVE COLITIS ACTIVITY

M. Sina^1,*, S. Hoxha¹, S. Prifti¹, R. Mullaj¹, E. Osja²

¹Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University Hospital Center Mother Teresa, ²Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University Hospital Shefqet Ndroqi, Tirana, Albania

Rationale: Nutritional status is increasingly recognized as a modifiable factor in ulcerative colitis (UC). The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score—based on serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count—reflects both nutritional and immune status. Although used in other inflammatory conditions, its role in UC activity assessment is not well established. This study evaluated the prevalence of malnutrition in UC and its predictive value for disease activity.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 84 UC patients followed at the IBD Unit of University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa” in Tirana, Albania, were included (53.6% male; mean age 43.8 ± 15.7 years; disease duration 6.6 ± 7.3 years). Nutritional status was assessed using the CONUT score (0–12), categorizing patients as normal (≤1) or malnourished (≥2). Disease activity was evaluated using the total Mayo Score (tMS). Group differences were analyzed with t-test, associations with Spearman’s correlation, and predictive value with logistic regression and ROC analysis (SPSS v29).

Results: Malnutrition was present in 27.3% of patients and was associated with higher disease activity scores (mean tMS: 8.09 ± 2.91 vs. 4.79 ± 3.71; p= 0.008). CONUT correlated moderately with tMS (ρ= 0.431, p< 0.001). Higher CONUT scores independently predicted moderate-to-severe disease (OR= 1.89; 95% CI: 1.17–3.04; p= 0.009). ROC analysis showed good discrimination (AUC= 0.736, p< 0.01), with an optimal cutoff of 0.5 (sensitivity 78.6%, specificity 66.7%).

Conclusion: Malnutrition was observed in 27.3% of UC patients, and its presence was significantly associated with increased disease activity. Given its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, the CONUT score may be integrated into routine clinical care to promptly assess nutritional status. Early identification of malnutrition can guide timely nutritional interventions, potentially improving disease trajectory and patient outcomes.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared