Correlation between disease activity and arterial blood pressure in Crohn's disease

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess haemodynamics in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) receiving total parenteral or enteral nutrition (TPEN). Methods: We compared changes in systemic arterial blood pressure (BP) before and after 48 courses of TPEN in 34 patients with CD and 19 courses of TPEN in 10 patients with other gastrointestinal diseases. We simultaneously measured the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) and biochemical parameters. Results: BP increased significantly during TPEN in CD patients (after: 85.1+/-7.4 mmHg vs. before: 75.2+/-7.9 mmHg, P<0.001). The increase in BP was negatively correlated with changes in the Crohn's disease activity index. BP decreased significantly after TPEN in patients with other diseases (P<0.001), despite an improvement in their general condition. There was no significant difference in volume status between CD patients and patients with other diseases. Conclusion: These findings suggest that determination of arterial blood pressure may be useful for assessing disease severity in patients with CD and that a fall in blood pressure may contribute to disease activity.