Browsing by Author "Mourad, Fadi H."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Nutritional Profile, Disease Severity, and Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case–Control Study
    (MDPI, 2024-06-11) Sayegh, Lea N.; Haddad, Firas; Jaoude, Layane Bou; Fakhoury-Sayegh, Nicole; Heraoui, Gessica N. H. A.; Nasrallah, Zainab; Chidiac, Charbel; Nawfal, Rashad; Francis, Fadi F.; Mourad, Fadi H.; Hashash, Jana G.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Diet is thought to play an important role in the clinical course and quality of life (QOL) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, dietary habits of patients with IBD are still unknown. This case-control study aims to compare the dietary habits of patients with IBD to healthy controls and evaluate differences in disease severity and QOL. Materials and methods: Food frequency, severity scores using the Harvey-Bradshaw and Ulcerative colitis activity index, and QOL were assessed using online questionnaires. Dietary habits were compared for patients with active disease and remission and for those with low QOL (LQOL) and high QOL (HQOL). Results: We recruited 61 patients with IBD and 101 controls. Significance was set at p = 0.05. Controls consumed significantly more daily calories (2546 vs. 1641, p = 0.001). However, patients with IBD consumed a higher percentage of carbohydrates (50% vs. 45%, p = 0.001), more red meat (p = 0.024), and less fiber, sucrose, and lactose (p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.036). Patients with active disease had higher lipid intake, lower protein intake, and lower QOL (47 vs. 58, p = 0.001). Dietary differences between LQOL and HQOL mirrored those between active disease and remission. Conclusion: This study is the first to provide valuable insights into the nutritional profile of Lebanese patients with IBD.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Significance of granulomas in the outcomes of Crohn's disease patients
    (Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 2022) Saade, Marie Christelle; Wehbe, Hisham; Mourad, Fadi H.; Hosni, Mohammad; Francis, Fadi F.; Makki, Maha; Binion, David G.; Tamim, Hani; Farraye, Francis A.; Malik, Talha; Hashash, Jana G.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: The presence of granulomas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the characteristic histologic features of Crohn's disease (CD). The clinical significance of granulomas remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the presence of granulomas on endoscopic pinch biopsy or surgical resection from the upper or lower GI tract is associated with worse outcomes among patients with CD. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients with CD evaluated at a tertiary care center between 1996 and 2019. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of granulomas on GI histology. Clinical and laboratory data, and outcomes of interest, were obtained from the electronic medical records. Patients' characteristics and outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: A total of 237 patients were included in our study; 41 (17.3%) had granulomas on their biopsy/resection specimen. The presence of granulomas in the GI tract was significantly associated with the development of intra-abdominal abscesses and/or fistulas (P=0.037), greater utilization of immunomodulators (P=0.029), and greater use of immunosuppressive medications (immunomodulator and/or biologic therapy) (P=0.015). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of number of hospitalizations, presence of perianal disease, intestinal resection, mean age, mean age at initial diagnosis of CD, duration of disease, sex, or smoking history. Conclusions: The presence of granulomas in the GI tract of CD patients may serve as a prognostic biomarker of worse disease severity. Larger studies are needed to better validate this finding.