BMC Gastroenterology
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
Low muscle mass and sarcopenia are common and can worsen outcomes in people with IBD. Identifying who is at risk can prompt earlier monitoring and interventions such as nutritional support, physical therapy, or medication review.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adults with IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), patients with low BMI or prior gastrointestinal surgery, those on steroids or biologic therapies, gastroenterologists, IBD nurses, dietitians, and researchers studying sarcopenia in IBD.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
This systematic review and meta-analysis pooled data from 13 cohort studies (5,559 IBD patients) to identify factors linked with low skeletal muscle mass and sarcopenia. Low BMI and prior gastrointestinal surgery were associated with sarcopenia.
Use of biologic therapies, presence of perianal disease, and steroid use were associated with low skeletal muscle mass; the authors caution these treatment associations may reflect greater disease severity or confounding.
The included studies varied in how they defined sarcopenia versus muscle quantity, and the certainty of evidence ranged from very low to low. The authors call for prospective studies using standardized, multidimensional sarcopenia criteria and consistent muscle assessments.
If you have IBD and low weight, prior GI surgery, active perianal disease, or ongoing steroid/advanced therapy, this study suggests you may be at higher risk for low muscle mass and could benefit from monitoring and nutrition/muscle-preserving strategies in discussion with your care team.
Keep In Mind
This article is an abstract-based systematic review and meta-analysis registered in PROSPERO. The authors note limitations including heterogeneous outcome definitions and potential confounding (especially for medication associations), and rate evidence certainty as low to very low for key findings.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationBMC Gastroenterology
AuthorsFangjia Shen, Jia Fang, Qi Zhao +2 more
InstitutionSun Yat-sen University
Study typeArticle
Indexed viaOpenAlex
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedSep 18, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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