The role of body composition in diverticular disease

Background: Diverticular disease is a common, chronic inflammatory disease of the bowel. This study investigates the differences in body composition between patients with diverticular disease and those without. Methods: Appropriate patients were identified using a search of the radiology database. Demographic and disease information was gathered using scanned medical records. Body composition analysis was performed at level L3 using single-slice computed tomography techniques. Results: Two hundred seventy-one patients were included in this study: 83 controls, 93 with diverticulosis and 95 with diverticulitis. Diverticulitis and diverticulosis were associated with a significantly higher visceral fat area (VFA), than the control group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Diverticulitis and diverticulosis were associated with a significantly higher visceral fat area to subcutaneous fat area ratio (VFA:SCFA), than the control group (p = 0.005, p = 0.019). Only diverticulosis was associated with increased levels of extramyocellular fat, when compared to the control group (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Diverticular disease is associated with a higher amount and a higher proportion of visceral fat than seen in controls without diverticular disease.