Undernutrition in lepromatous leprosy, Part I. Is it associated with poverty or with disease?

Abstract

Body dimensions (weight, height, and skinfold thickness) were measured of 339 normal subjects and 239 BL and LL patients of both sexes, belonging to semiurban and rural areas of a mining district of an eastern state of India. Of these patients, 56 belonged to higher per capita income and the remaining 183 to lower per capita income. Their daily intake of food was estimated by questionnaire and weighing food items. It was observed that both the patients (52%) as well as normal subjects (39%) with low per capita income suffered from grade I and II undernutrition. In contrast (13%) patients and (14%) normal subjects with higher per capita income showed only signs of grade I undernutrition. Importantly no patient suffered from severe undernutrition. Furthermore, the intake of protein, fat, calorie and vitamin A was significantly less in the normal as well as patients of low per capita income than that of higher per capita income. It was concluded that moderate undernutrition observed in lepromatous patients was associated with poverty and deprivation of food and not with the disease.