Dietary Intake in Patients with Arthritis and Other Chronic Diseases

¹ From the Section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco

1. Dietary intake was studied in ninety-four patients—forty-two with rheumatoid arthritis, twenty-seven with degenerative arthritis, and twenty-five with some other chronic disease, chiefly neurological.

2. Patients with degenerative arthritis averaged 15.10 pounds overweight, whereas those with rheumatoid arthritis averaged 10.33 pounds underweight. The controls averaged 1.72 pounds underweight. These mean weights showed significant differences between the patients with degenerative arthritis and those with rheumatoid arthritis and between those with degenerative arthritis and the controls, but not between those with rheumatoid arthritis and the controls.

3. In none of the three groups was there any statistically significant difference in the mean dietary intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, or minerals.

4. Ninety-two per cent of all the patients had intakes of one or more vitamins and minerals below the recommended daily allowance and 68 per cent had intakes of one or more vitamins and minerals below the minimum daily requirement.

5. Over 30 per cent of all the patients had intakes below the minimum daily requirement and over 50 per cent had intakes below the recommended daily allowance for thiamine, phosphorus, and calcium (Chart I).

6. Four patients—two with rheumatoid arthritis who were receiving steroids, one with degenerative arthritis, and one control—had neuropathy. All four had a protein intake below the recommended daily allowance and all had intakes below the minimum daily requirements for from two to six vitamins and minerals.

7. There were significant differences in the mean base (alkaline) excess in the diet between the two arthritic (rheumatoid and degenerative) groups and the

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control group. The difference between the means of the two arthritic groups was not significant. The control group had more base excess in the diet.

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