Nutrition determinants of acute skeletal muscle loss in critically ill patients: A prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle loss is associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill patients and risk factors of acute skeletal muscle loss are not well described. This study aims to determine the factors associated with acute skeletal muscle loss in critically ill patients. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted with patients who were expected to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for at least a week. Rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) measurements were performed within 48 h of ICU admission and on study day 7. The percentage change in RFCSA and variables associated with this change were evaluated by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Over a 12-month period, 518 patients were assessed for eligibility and 44 critically ill patients with a mean age of 59.3 ± 10.9 years were enrolled; 52.3% of them were female. There were significant reductions in RFCSA (16.8 ± 16.5%; P < 0.001). The mean amounts of protein and energy consumed compared with those prescribed were 67.0 ± 28.8% and 71.5 ± 38.3%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that frailty was independently associated with acute skeletal muscle loss after adjusting for confounding factors in our cohort of patients. CONCLUSION: Frailty status before ICU admission is associated with acute skeletal muscle loss and may be important for identifying critically ill patients at high risk of muscle wasting.

Association between skeletal muscle changes, anthropometric measurements, and clinical outcomes in critically ill trauma and surgical patients: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Acute skeletal muscle wasting may predict clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. This study aimed to assess acute muscle loss, changes in anthropometric measurements, and the relationship between muscle loss and clinical outcomes in critically ill trauma and surgical patients. METHODS: This single-center, prospective observational study was conducted in critically ill trauma and surgical patients who were expected to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for at least 7 days. Rectus femoris cross-sectional area muscle measurements were performed by bedside ultrasound, and anthropometric measurements were obtained at baseline and 7 days after the first assessment. Length of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital stay, and mortality were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 49.6 ± 18.6 years and 74.1% male were enrolled. The rectus femoris cross-sectional area, mid-arm circumference, and calf circumference were reduced at second assessment from baseline (P < 0.05). In univariate analysis, muscle loss and changes in anthropometric measurements were not associated with 90-day mortality (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Muscle loss in critical trauma and surgical patients occurred rapidly during the first week of critical illness. Rectus femoris muscle cross-sectional area assessment can be used to detect skeletal muscle changes in critically ill patients. Further investigations on the skeletal muscle changes and clinical outcomes need to be conducted.

Maternal micronutrient status and its association with sociodemographic, maternal, and dietary factors in a cross-sectional study.

AIM: Maternal serum micronutrient status can have a significant impact on short- and long-term outcomes for mother and offspring. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of maternal serum folate, ferritin, and vitamin B12 status with maternal and dietary factors. METHODS: This observational cross-sectional study was carried out with 165 healthy pregnant women at least 18 years of age with a singleton pregnancy. Maternal nutrient intake was determined by 24-hour dietary recall method and supplement records. Multivariable analyses using stepwise linear regression models were performed to associations of dietary intakes and maternal serum status. RESULTS: There was a difference between the lowest and highest quartile of maternal serum folate, ferritin, and vitamin B12 status and maternal characteristics and dietary, and total intakes of nutrients (p < 0.05). Multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis showed the predictors of serum folate status were dietary folate equivalent, dietary folate, total vitamin B6 and iron intake. Primer predictors of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 status were dietary protein intake (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings support existing recommendations that folic acid supplementation should be prescribed to achieve optimal serum folate status during pregnancy. However, dietary protein intake is important to provide optimal maternal serum vitamin B12 and ferritin status.

Effects of different lipid emulsions on serum adipokines, inflammatory markers and mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis: A prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Intravenous lipid emulsions in parenteral nutrition may cause different metabolic responses and immune effects in critically ill patients with sepsis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of different lipid emulsions on changes in concentrations of adipokine and cytokine and their relationship with mortality in patients. METHODS: Patients enrolled in this prospective, single-center, observational cohort study, were estimated to require more than ten days of parenteral nutrition. They were treated with soybean oil-based or olive oil-based parenteral lipid emulsions. Adipokine and cytokine concentrations of septic patients were determined at enrollment and ten days after, in accordance with the diagnostic criteria of SEPSIS-3. The concentrations levels were measured in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mortality was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regressions. RESULTS: Over a 25-month period, 145 patients were assessed for eligibility and consequently, 40 patients were analyzed. On admission, both groups had comparable physiological scores, comorbidities, malnutrition risk, anthropometric measurements, metabolic/hematologic biomarkers and concentrations of adipokines and cytokines (p > .05). Serum leptin, resistin, and cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-1ß and TNF-α) decreased significantly in the entire cohort over ten days following sepsis (p < .05). Serum resistin decreased in both olive oil-based and soybean oil-based lipid emulsions groups. Serum adiponectin only decreased in soybean oil-based lipid emulsions group (p < .05). There was association between survival and percentage changes in adiponectin, resistin and visfatin concentrations (log rank test: p < .05). CONCLUSION: Adipokine and cytokine responses are affected by medical nutritional therapy in the sepsis process and adipokines may represent functional prognostic biomarkers in critically ill patients with sepsis.

Associations of maternal characteristics and dietary factors with anemia and iron-deficiency in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Anemia and iron deficiency during pregnancy influence maternal and fetal health, birth outcomes, and the risk of chronic disease in offspring. This study aimed to examine the association with sociodemographic, maternal factors, supplement use and dietary intakes, and anemia and iron deficiency in pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 165 pregnant women aged between 19 and 45 years who were interviewed, and dietary intake was assessed by 24-hours dietary recall, supplement records and food frequency questionnaire. Learning Vector Quantization feature selection method which is one of the machine learning techniques was used to extract important variables from sociodemographic, maternal, and dietary factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia was 15.2% and prevalence of iron deficiency was 65.5%. Total intake of iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1 and B2 were importance factors for iron deficiency while age, number of births, use of folic acid supplement, dietary folate equivalent and total iron intake were importance factors for anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal and dietary characteristics were the most crucial risk factors for anemia while dietary factors were the most important risk factor for iron deficiency in pregnancy. The development of anemia and iron deficiency is associated with the coexistence of many nutrient deficiencies.