Background: Malnutrition increases the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) and causes reactivation of latent pulmonary TB. On the other hand, TB is a recognized cause of malnutrition. Evaluation of the nutritional status and anemia of tuberculous patients with active disease is an important step toward TB management.
The objectives of the study were to determine the nutritional status and patterns of anemia in adult patients with active pulmonary TB.
Methods: A.
cross-sectional hospital-based study was performed on newly diagnosed patients with sputum-positive pulmonary TB. The nutritional status, total percentage of body fat (BF%), anemia, and general health of each patient were assessed with measurements of the body mass index (BMI), skin fold thickness, complete blood counts, and biochemical tests.
Results: Patients' ages ranged from 16- to 74-year old, with the majority between 20- and 40-year old. Male: female ratio was 2:1. The majority of males and females (91.2% and 84.5%, respectively) had low BF%. Underweight (BMI < 18.5) was 62%, whereas overweight (BMI ≥25.0) was 4%. BMI showed a significant decline with chronicity of the illness (P < 0.001). Eighty participants showed anemia, 90% microcytic hypochromic, and 10% normocytic normochromic. Serum albumin was low in 21%, with no relation to renal disease and insignificant association with proteinuria.
Conclusion: Patients with active pulmonary TB are likely to have microcytic hypochromic anemia, low BF%, and low BMI, especially with a long duration of the disease.
Keywords: Anemia; body mass index; malnutrition; pulmonary tuberculosis.