ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Gastroenterology
Individual components and cumulative burden of metabolic syndrome are associated with higher disease activity and adverse outcomes in Crohn's disease
Provisionally accepted
- 1Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- 2The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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Background: The impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components on Crohn's disease (CD) remains unclear. This study investigated how individual MetS factors and cumulative metabolic burden affect CD activity and outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital and encompassed a cohort of 376 hospitalized patients diagnosed with CD from 2015 to 2025. Linear, logistic, and Poisson regression models assessed correlations between MetS elements and clinical indicators, evaluating how their presence and number affected CD. Results: Thirty-six patients (9.6%) had MetS. Compared to non-MetS patients, those with MetS exhibited a significantly higher Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (10 vs 7; p < 0.001), Crohn's Disease Activity Index (294.3 vs 256.6; p < 0.001), risks of complications (OR = 8.65, 95% CI: 2.01–37.26, p = 0.004) and surgery or invasive procedures (OR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.27–5.45, p = 0.009). Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol conferred a higher risk of adverse outcomes. The cumulative number of MetS elements exhibited an incremental effect, with increasing numbers correlating to progressively higher disease severity and a risk of poor outcomes. Conclusions: The concurrent presence of multiple MetS elements can synergistically worsen the clinical course of CD. Management of these components is crucial for the long-term prognosis of CD.
Keywords: Crohn's disease, metabolic syndrome, Dyslipidemia, clinical outcomes, Cumulative metabolic burden
Received: 09 Oct 2025; Accepted: 01 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Pan, Liu, Liang, Qin and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shanyu Qin
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