Muscle matters: Prognostic implications of malnutrition and muscle health parameters in patients with cancer. A secondary analysis of a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Low muscle mass and malnutrition are independently associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients with cancer. However, it is not yet clear which parameter is most indicative of these risks. This study investigates the prognostic significance of different parameters reflecting malnutrition and muscle health in a well-characterised oncology population at nutritional risk. METHODS: This preplanned secondary analysis included patients with cancer from a Swiss-wide, randomised-controlled nutritional trial. We investigated associations among malnutrition markers (i.e., malnutrition diagnosis based on modified Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, albumin concentration) and muscle health markers (i.e., hand grip strength, computed tomography (CT)-based muscle mass and radiodensity) with 180-day all-cause mortality (primary outcome). RESULTS: We included 269 patients with a main admission diagnosis of cancer and available CT scans. In a mutually adjusted model, four parameters contributed to risk assessment including modified malnutrition diagnosis (GLIM) (HR 1.78 (95%CI 1.17 to 2.69), p = 0.007, AUC 0.58), low albumin concentration (HR 1.58 (95%CI 1.08 to 2.31), p = 0.019, AUC 0.62), low handgrip strength (HR 2.05 (95%CI 1.43 to 2.93), p = 0.001, AUC 0.62) and low muscle radiodensity (HR 1.39 (95%CI 0.90 to 2.16), p = 0.139, AUC 0.63). Combining these parameters resulted in a model with high prognostic power regarding 180-day mortality (overall AUC 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of inpatients with cancer at nutritional risk, several malnutrition and muscle health parameters emerged as independent prognostic indicators for mortality. The use of these parameters may improve risk stratification and guide nutritional interventions in this vulnerable population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02517476.

Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and 30-Day Postoperative Mortality in Geriatric Burn Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) can easily identify malnutrition-associated morbidity and mortality. We investigated the association between preoperative GNRI and 30-d mortality in geriatric burn patients who underwent surgery. METHODS: The study involved geriatric burn patients (aged ≥ 65 y) who underwent burn surgery between 2012 and 2022. The GNRI was computed using the following formula: 1.489 × serum albumin concentration (mg/L) + 41.7 × patient body weight/ideal body weight. Patients were dichotomized into the high GNRI (≥ 82) and low GNRI (< 82) groups. GNRI was evaluated as an independent predictor of 30-d postoperative mortality. The study also evaluated the association between GNRI and sepsis, the need for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and pneumonia. RESULTS: Out of 270 patients, 128 (47.4%) had low GNRI (< 82). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that low GNRI was significantly associated with 30-d postoperative mortality (hazard ratio: 1.874, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.146-3.066, P = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the 30-day mortality rate differed significantly between the low and high GNRI groups (log-rank test, P < 0.001). The 30-d postoperative mortality (hazard ratio: 2.677, 95% CI: 1.536-4.667, P < 0.001) and the incidence of sepsis (odds ratio [OR]: 2.137, 95% CI: 1.307-3.494, P = 0.004), need for CRRT (OR: 1.919, 95% CI: 1.101-3.344, P = 0.025), MACE (OR: 1.680, 95% CI: 1.018-2.773, P = 0.043), and pneumonia (OR: 1.678, 95% CI: 1.019-2.764, P = 0.044), were significantly higher in the low GNRI group than in the high GNRI group. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative low GNRI was associated with increased 30-d postoperative mortality, sepsis, need for CRRT, MACE, and pneumonia in geriatric burn patients.

Associations between Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment criteria and all-cause mortality among cancer patients: Evidence from baseline and longitudinal analyses.

OBJECTIVES: The prognostic effects of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) criteria in cancer survivors have been observed but require validation in clinical practice. This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic effects of baseline and longitudinal changes in PG-SGA scores on all-cause mortality among Chinese cancer patients in a real-world setting. METHODS: Study patients were selected from one representative tertiary hospital in West China. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the prognostic effect of baseline and dynamic changes in PG-SGA scores on the all-cause mortality of cancer patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves and a concordance index were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of PG-SGA criteria. RESULTS: A total of 1415 cancer patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 46 years old. Cox regression analysis showed that baseline malnourished status was significantly associated with the survival of cancer patients (PG-SGA 4-8: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.96, P = 0.012; PG-SGA ≥9: HR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.34-2.37, P < 0.001). Cancer patients with longitudinal increased PG-SGA scores (>2 points) were observed to have high risks for mortality (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.04-2.74, P = 0.033). Compared with longitudinal changes in PG-SGA scores, baseline malnourished status showed higher predictive power in identifying the risk subgroup (concordance index: 0.646 vs. 0.586). Sensitivity analyses supported the main findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the prognostic value of baseline and dynamic changes in PG-SGA scores for cancer patients, which can help improve their outcomes.

The role of cholesterol-modified prognostic nutritional index in nutritional status assessment and predicting survival after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Malnutrition, which is often underestimated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has a proven adverse effect on survival rates. The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of the cholesterol-modified prognostic nutritional index (CPNI) in determining the nutritional status and predicting overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with HCC by comparing it with several other nutritional indicators. This retrospective single-center study enrolled 1450 consecutive HCC patients who underwent curative liver resection from January 2015 to November 2019. We evaluated the prognostic significance of several nutritional indicators, including CPNI, the controlling nutritional status (CONUT), the nutritional risk index (NRI), and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), by applying time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Among several objective nutrition evaluations (including CPNI, CONUT, NRI, and PNI), CPNI demonstrated the greatest prognostic predictive power for predicting OS. Meanwhile, CPNI demonstrated marginally higher accuracy in predicting RFS compared to PNI, and significantly outperformed CONUT and NRI. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that CPNI was an independent risk factor for the OS and RFS of patients with HCC undergoing curative liver resection. In most subgroups, malnutrition as identified by CPNI demonstrates strong stratification ability in predicting both OS and RFS. CPNI serves as an accurate and stable instrument for evaluating nutritional status and forecasting survival outcomes in HCC patients following liver resection, which has the potential to markedly influence clinical decision-making processes and the management of patient care.

Performance of anthropometry-based and bio-electrical impedance-based muscle-mass indicators in the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for predicting prognosis in patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Reduced muscle mass is a criterion for diagnosing malnutrition using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria; however, the choice of muscle-mass indicators within the GLIM criteria remains contentious. This study aimed to establish muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria using data from bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric evaluations and evaluate their ability to predict overall survival (OS), short-term outcomes, and healthcare burden in patients with cancer. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective study that commenced in 2013 and enrolled participants from various clinical centers across China. We constructed GLIM criteria based on various muscle measurements, including fat-free mass index (FFMI), skeletal muscle index (SMI), calf circumference (CC), midarm circumference (MAC), midarm muscle circumference (MAMC), and midarm muscle area (MAMA). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the independent association between the GLIM criteria and OS. The discriminatory performance of different muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria for mortality was evaluated using Harrell's concordance index (C-index). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of the GLIM criteria with short-term outcomes and healthcare burden. RESULTS: A total of 4769 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 1659 (34.8%) died during the study period. The Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that all muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria significantly predicted survival in patients with cancer (all p < 0.001). The survival rate of malnourished patients was approximately 10% lower than that of non-malnourished patients. Cox proportional hazards regression showed that all the muscle-measurement-based GLIM could independently predict the OS of patients (all p < 0.001). The prognostic discrimination was as follows: MAMC (Chi-square: 79.61) > MAMA (Chi-square: 79.10) > MAC (Chi-square: 64.09) > FFMI (Chi-square: 62.33) > CC (Chi-square: 58.62) > ASMI (Chi-square: 57.29). In comparison to the FFMI-based GLIM criteria, the ASMI-based criteria (-0.002, 95% CI: -0.006 to 0.002, p = 0.334) and CC-based criteria (-0.003, 95% CI: -0.007 to 0.002, p = 0.227) did not exhibit a significant advantage. However, the MAC-based criteria (0.001, 95% CI: -0.003 to 0.004, p = 0.776), MAMA-based criteria (0.004, 95% CI: 0.000-0.007, p = 0.035), and MAMC-based criteria (0.005, 95% CI: 0.000-0.007, p = 0.030) outperformed the FFMI-based GLIM criteria. Logistic regression showed that muscle measurement-based GLIM criteria predicted short-term outcomes and length of hospital stay in patients with cancer. CONCLUSION: All muscle measurement-based GLIM criteria can effectively predict OS, short-term outcomes, and healthcare burden in patients with cancer. Anthropometric measurement-based GLIM criteria have potential for clinical application as an alternative to BIA-based measurement.

Prevalence and survival implications of malnutrition and sarcopenia in metastatic breast cancer: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition and sarcopenia are challenges for patients with metastatic breast cancer and have been proposed as independent prognostic factors. Very few studies have addressed the temporal evolution of these parameters and, notably, the separate and combined analysis of sarcopenia and malnutrition. This study aimed to i) determine the prevalence of malnutrition and sarcopenia, individually and combined, and their evolution over time, ii) identify risk factors for each condition, and iii) explore their impact on overall survival (OS). METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on 111 patients treated for at least a third-line metastatic breast cancer at the Institut Curie between January 1st and March 31st, 2018. Solitary malnutrition was defined from weight loss and body mass index values while solitary sarcopenia was defined solely based on low muscle mass. We analyzed solitary malnutrition, solitary sarcopenia, and then malnutrition with or without sarcopenia, at three key stages (T1: diagnosis of metastasis, T2: initiation of third-line treatment, and T3: 3-month re-evaluation). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the risk factors. We performed Cox proportional hazards analyses for each variable. RESULTS: At T1, the prevalence of solitary malnutrition, solitary sarcopenia and malnutrition with or without sarcopenia was 18.6%, 36.1% and 48.9% respectively, increasing to 27.7%, 45.5% and 56.6% at T2. At T2, in multivariate logistic regression analyses, patients aged over 60 years were at an elevated risk of experiencing solitary malnutrition as well as malnutrition with or without sarcopenia, but not solitary sarcopenia. In multivariate analyses, solitary malnutrition was significantly associated with poorer OS (HR 2.2 [95% CI 1.1-4.1], p = 0.02), while solitary sarcopenia and malnutrition with or without sarcopenia showed no association. CONCLUSION: Solitary malnutrition and sarcopenia were highly prevalent in patients with metastatic breast cancer, affecting around a quarter and half of patients respectively at third-line treatment initiation. Notably, solitary malnutrition emerged as a prognostic factor for overall survival, whereas no significant association was observed for solitary sarcopenia or malnutrition with or without sarcopenia. This highlights the critical need for early identification of patients at risk of malnutrition and the importance of timely intervention.

Association of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with diabetic kidney disease: evidence from the NHANES 2009-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data on patients with DKD from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2018. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality, diabetes-related mortality and nephropathy-related mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1714 patients were included, with 1119 (65.29%) in normal nutrition group (a score of 0-1), 553 (32.26%) in mild malnutrition group (a score of 2-4) and 42 (2.45%) in moderate and severe malnutrition group (a score of 5-12), according to the CONUT score. After controlling for age, race, marital status, smoking, hypertension, CVD, diabetic retinopathy, poverty income ratio, antidiabetics, diuretics, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, uric acid, energy, protein, total fat, sodium and estimated glomerular filtration rate, a higher CONUT score was associated with a significantly greater risk of all-cause death (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.46, p<0.001). In contrast to patients with a CONUT score of 0-1, those who scored 5-12 had significantly increased risks of all-cause death (HR 2.80, 95% CI 1.42 to 5.51, p=0.003), diabetes-related death (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.11, p=0.041) and nephropathy-related death (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.24, p=0.036). CONCLUSION: Moderate and severe malnutrition was associated with greater risks of all-cause death, diabetes-related death and nephropathy-related death than normal nutritional status in DKD. Close monitoring of immuno-nutritional status in patients with DKD may help prognosis management and improvement.

Value of the modified Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment in indicating the need for nutrition intervention and predicting overall survival in patients with malignant tumors in at least two organs.

BACKGROUND: Although the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is a reference standard used to assess a patient's nutrition status, it is cumbersome to administer. The aim of the present study was to estimate the value of a simpler and easier-to-use modified PG-SGA (mPG-SGA) to evaluate the nutrition status and need for intervention in patients with malignant tumors present in at least two organs. METHODS: A total of 591 patients (343 male and 248 female) were included from the INSCOC study. A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between the mPG-SGA and nutrition-related factors, with the optimal cut-off defined by a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The consistency between the mPG-SGA and PG-SGA was compared in a concordance analysis. A survival analysis was used to determine the effects of nutritional intervention among different nutrition status groups. Univariable and multivariable Cox analyses were applied to evaluate the association of the mPG-SGA with the all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The mPG-SGA showed a negative association with nutrition-related factors. Individuals with an mPG-SGA ≥ 5 (rounded from 4.5) were considered to need nutritional intervention. Among the malnourished patients (mPG-SGA ≥ 5), the overall survival (OS) of those who received nutrition intervention was significantly higher than that of patients who did not. However, the OS was not significantly different in the better-nourished patients (mPG-SGA < 5). CONCLUSION: Our findings support that the mPG-SGA is a feasible tool that can be used to guide nutritional interventions and predict the survival of patients with malignant tumors affecting at least two organs.

Five-Year Mortality Outcomes for Eating As Treatment (EAT), a Health Behavior Change Intervention to Improve Nutrition in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Malnutrition affects up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and is associated with higher burden of disease, poorer treatment outcomes, and greater mortality. The Eating As Treatment (EAT) intervention is a behavioral intervention previously demonstrated to be effective in improving nutritional status, depression, and quality of life in patients with HNC. This article examines the effects of the EAT intervention on 5-year mortality among participants. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A multicenter, stepped-wedge, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 5 Australian hospitals. Dietitians were trained to deliver EAT, a combination of motivational interviewing and cognitive behavior therapy strategies, to patients with HNC receiving radiation therapy. Secondary analyses of survival benefit on an intention-to-treat basis were performed. Differences in proportions of 5-year all-cause mortality between the control and EAT intervention arms were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, and 5-year survival rates were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Analyses controlled for temporal effects (study duration), hospital site (clustering), and baseline nutritional status differences. RESULTS: Overall, there were 64 deaths in the 5 years after enrollment, 36 (24%) among those assigned to the control condition and 28 (18%) among those assigned to EAT. Logistic regression showed statistically significant reduced odds in favor of EAT (odds ratio, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.96), with an absolute risk reduction of 17% (95% CI, 0.01-0.33) and a relative risk reduction of 55% (95% CI, 0.22-0.92), resulting in a number needed to treat of 6 (95% CI, 4-13). Survival analysis revealed that risk of death was significantly reduced by the EAT intervention (hazard ratio, 0.39; 0.16-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Participation in EAT provided a statistically and clinically meaningful survival benefit, likely via improved nutrition during radiation therapy. This survival benefit strengthens the finding of the main trial, showing that a behavioral intervention focused on nutrition could improve HNC outcomes. Replication studies using stepped-wedge designs for implementation into clinical practice may be warranted.

A longitudinal study to determine if all critically ill patients should be considered at nutrition risk or is there a highly accurate screening tool to be adopted?

BACKGROUND: Nutrition risk is prevalent in intensive care unit (ICU) settings and related to poor prognoses. We aimed to evaluate the concurrent and predictive validity of different nutrition risk screening tools in the ICU. METHODS: Data were collected between 2019 and 2022 in six ICUs (n = 450). Nutrition risk was evaluated by modified Nutrition Risk in Critically ill (mNUTRIC), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and Nutritional Risk in Emergency (NRE-2017). Accuracy and agreement of the tools were assessed; logistic regression was used to verify the association between nutrition risk and prolonged ICU stay; Cox regression was used for mortality in the ICU, both with adjustment for confounders. RESULTS: NRS-2002 ≥5 showed the best accuracy (0.63 [95% CI, 0.58-0.69]) with mNUTRIC, and MST with NRS-2002 ≥5 (0.76 [95% CI, 0.71-0.80]). All tools had a poor/fair agreement with mNUTRIC (k = 0.019-0.268) and moderate agreement with NRS-2002 ≥5 (k = 0.474-0.503). MUST (2.26 [95% CI 1.40-3.63]) and MST (1.69 [95% CI, 1.09-2.60]) predicted death in the ICU, and the NRS-2002 ≥5 (1.56 [95% CI 1.02-2.40]) and mNUTRIC (1.86 [95% CI, 1.26-2.76]) predicted prolonged ICU stay. CONCLUSION: No nutrition risk screening tool demonstrated a satisfactory concurrent validity; only the MUST and MST predicted ICU mortality and the NRS-2002 ≥5 and mNUTRIC predicted prolonged ICU stay, suggesting that it could be appropriate to adopt the ESPEN recommendation to assess nutrition status in patients with ≥48 h in the ICU.

Child wasting and concurrent stunting in low- and middle-income countries.

Sustainable Development Goal 2.2-to end malnutrition by 2030-includes the elimination of child wasting, defined as a weight-for-length z-score that is more than two standard deviations below the median of the World Health Organization standards for child growth1. Prevailing methods to measure wasting rely on cross-sectional surveys that cannot measure onset, recovery and persistence-key features that inform preventive interventions and estimates of disease burden. Here we analyse 21 longitudinal cohorts and show that wasting is a highly dynamic process of onset and recovery, with incidence peaking between birth and 3 months. Many more children experience an episode of wasting at some point during their first 24 months than prevalent cases at a single point in time suggest. For example, at the age of 24 months, 5.6% of children were wasted, but by the same age (24 months), 29.2% of children had experienced at least one wasting episode and 10.0% had experienced two or more episodes. Children who were wasted before the age of 6 months had a faster recovery and shorter episodes than did children who were wasted at older ages; however, early wasting increased the risk of later growth faltering, including concurrent wasting and stunting (low length-for-age z-score), and thus increased the risk of mortality. In diverse populations with high seasonal rainfall, the population average weight-for-length z-score varied substantially (more than 0.5 z in some cohorts), with the lowest mean z-scores occurring during the rainiest months; this indicates that seasonally targeted interventions could be considered. Our results show the importance of establishing interventions to prevent wasting from birth to the age of 6 months, probably through improved maternal nutrition, to complement current programmes that focus on children aged 6-59 months.

Clinical significance of controlling nutritional status score (CONUT) in evaluating outcome of postoperative patients with gastric cancer.

The stomach is the main digestive organ in humans. Patients with gastric cancer often develop digestive problems, which result in poor nutrition. Nutritional status is closely related to postoperative complications and quality of life (QoL) in patients with gastric cancer. The controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score is a novel tool to evaluate the nutritional status of patients. However, the relationship of the CONUT score with postoperative complications, QoL, and psychological status in patients with gastric cancer has not been investigated. The present follow-up study was conducted in 106 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in our hospital between 2014 and 2019. The CONUT score, postoperative complications, psychological status, postoperative QoL scores, and overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer were collected, and the relationship between them was analyzed. A significant correlation was observed between the CONUT score and postoperative complications of gastric cancer (P < 0.001), especially anastomotic leakage (P = 0.037). The multivariate regression analysis exhibited that the CONUT score (P = 0.002) is an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. The CONUT score was correlated with the state anxiety questionnaire (S-AI) for evaluating psychological status (P = 0.032). However, further regression analysis exhibited that the CONUT score was not an independent risk factor for psychological status. Additionally, the CONUT score was associated with postoperative QoL. The multivariate regression analysis exhibited that the CONUT score was an independent risk factor for the global QoL (P = 0.048). Moreover, the efficiency of CONUT score, prognostic nutrition index, and serum albumin in evaluating complications, psychological status, and QoL was compared, and CONUT score was found to outperform the other measures (Area Under Curve, AUC = 0.7368). Furthermore, patients with high CONUT scores exhibited shorter OS than patients with low CONUT scores (P = 0.005). Additionally, the postoperative complications (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.21-0.92, P = 0.028), pathological stage (HR 2.26, 95% CI 1.26-4.06, P = 0.006), and global QoL (HR 15.24, 95% CI 3.22-72.06, P = 0.001) were associated with OS. The CONUT score can be used to assess the nutritional status of patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery and is associated with the incidence of postoperative complications and QoL.

Low fat mass index outperforms handgrip weakness and GLIM-defined malnutrition in predicting cancer survival: Derivation of cutoff values and joint analysis in an observational cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The optimal thresholds to define a survival-related low fat mass index (FMI) in Asian oncology populations remains largely unknown. This study sought to derive the sex-specific FMI cutoffs and analyze the independent and joint associations of a low FMI, handgrip weakness, and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-defined malnutrition with cancer survival. METHODS: We performed a multicenter cohort study including 2376 patients with cancer. The FMI was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and the best thresholds were determined using an optimal stratification (OS) method. Low handgrip strength (HGS) and malnutrition were defined based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 framework and the GLIM, respectively. The associations of a low FMI, handgrip weakness and malnutrition with survival were estimated independently and jointly by calculating multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: The study enrolled 1303 women and 1073 men with a mean age of 57.7 years and a median follow-up of 1267 days. The OS-defined FMI cutoffs were <5 kg/m2 in women and <7.7 kg/m2 in men. A low FMI, low HGS and malnutrition were identified in 1188 (50%), 1106 (46.5%) and 910 (38.3%) patients, respectively. A low FMI was adversely associated with the nutritional status, physical performance, quality of life and hospitalization costs. A low FMI (HR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.16 to 1.92) and malnutrition (HR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.08 to 1.59) were independently associated with mortality. Overall, the FMI plus GLIM-defined malnutrition showed the maximal joint prognostic impact, and patients with a combined low FMI and malnutrition had the worst survival (HR = 1.93, 95%CI = 1.48 to 2.52). CONCLUSIONS: Low FMI-indicated fat depletion outperforms and strengthens the prognostic value of handgrip weakness and GLIM-defined malnutrition for cancer survival. These findings indicate the importance of including fat mass assessment during routine cancer care to help guide strategies to optimize survival outcomes.

Relação do risco nutricional e perfil glicêmico no desfecho de pacientes críticos / Relationship of nutritional risk and glycemic profile in the outcome of critically ill patients

Em pacientes críticos o risco nutricional e a hiperglicemia associam-se ao aumento da incidência de desfechos desfavoráveis. Objetivo: Avaliar a relação do risco nutricional pelo Nutrition Risk in Critically III, versão modificada (mNUTRIC) e perfil glicêmico nos desfechos de alta, óbito e tempo de internação de pacientes críticos e verificar o impacto das ferramentas Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II (APACHE II) e do Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) nesses desfechos. Método: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo desenvolvido em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva (UTI). Foram incluídos adultos, com tempo ≥ 48 horas de internação e com registro mínimo de duas aferições glicêmicas. Excluíram-se pacientes em cuidados paliativos, readmitidos nas UTI e gestantes. O teste Exato de Fisher e Shapiro Wilk foram utilizados para avaliar as variáveis categóricas e contínuas, respectivamente. Posteriormente, utilizou-se o teste de Mann-Whitney ou t-Student não pareado. Realizou-se análise de regressão logística e linear. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5%. Resultados: Ao avaliar 35 pacientes, 45,7% apresentaram alto risco nutricional. Foi observado associação do risco nutricional com os desfechos de alta e óbito; o SOFA associou-se ao óbito e tempo de internação. O incremento de 1 ponto no escore do SOFA aumentou a chance de óbito em 83% e tempo maior de internação em 0,49 dias. O perfil glicêmico e APACHE II não se associou aos desfechos. Conclusão: o escore SOFA foi o instrumento que apresentou associações significativas com o desfecho do óbito e maior tempo de internação de pacientes críticos

In critically ill patients, nutritional risk and hyperglycemia are associated with an increased incidence of unfavorable outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the relationship of nutritional risk by the Nutrition Risk in Critically III, modified version (mNUTRIC) and glycemic profile in the outcomes of discharge, death and length of stay in critically ill patients and to verify the impact of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II (APACHE II) and the Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) tools on these outcomes. Method: Prospective longitudinal study developed in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Adults were included, with ≥ 48 hours of hospitalization and with a minimum record of two blood glucose measurements. Patients in palliative care, readmitted to ICU and pregnant women were excluded. Fisher's Exact test and Shapiro Wilk test were used to evaluate categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Subsequently, the Mann-Whitney or unpaired t-Student test was used. Logistic and linear regression analysis was performed. The significance level adopted was 5%. Results: When evaluating 35 patients, 45.7% were at high nutritional risk. An association was observed between nutritional risk and discharge and death outcomes; SOFA was associated with death and length of hospital stay. The increment of 1 point in the SOFA score increased the chance of death by 83% and a longer hospital stay by 0.49 days. Glycemic profile and APACHE II were not associated with outcomes. Conclusion: the SOFA score was the instrument that showed significant associations with the outcome of death and longer hospital stay in critically ill patients

Comparison of Preoperative Nutritional Indexes for Outcomes after Primary Esophageal Surgery for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) for predicting postoperative outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing esophagectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 1265 consecutive patients who underwent elective esophageal surgery. The patients were classified into no risk, low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups based on nutritional scores. RESULTS: The moderate-risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-1.92, p < 0.001 in CONUT; HR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.22-2.12, p = 0.001 in GNRI; HR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.20-2.26, p = 0.002 in PNI) and high-risk groups (HR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.47-2.48, p < 0.001 in CONUT; HR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.64-3.93, p < 0.001 in GNRI; HR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.77-3.06, p < 0.001 in PNI) exhibited significantly worse 5-year overall survival (OS) compared with the no-risk group. As the nutritional status worsened, the trend in the OS rates decreased (p for trend in all indexes < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition, evaluated by any of three nutritional indexes, was an independent prognostic factor for postoperative survival.

Nutritional status and functional status of the pancreatic cancer patients and the impact of adjacent symptoms.

RATIONALE & AIMS: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the third most common type of gastrointestinal tract cancer in Europe and the fourth leading cause of death by cancer. Its initial stage is asymptomatic Therefore, the diagnosis tends to be late leading to locally advanced stages that presuppose late and debilitating symptoms, which consequently makes the Nutritional Status (NS) get worse. The weight loss (WL), malnutrition, and oncologic cachexia, which are quite prevalent in PC patients, reflect a poor prognosis. We aimed to track and evaluate the NS and Functional Status (FS) of PC patients (hospitalized patients - HP and Day Hospital patients - DHP) and associate NS with symptoms with nutritional impact and FS. METHODS: Observational cohort study in PC patients from Garcia de Orta Hospital. NS was tracked and evaluated using Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002) and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). To assess FS we used the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), Karnofsky Performance Scale Index (KPSI) and Handgrip Dynamometer (HGD). RESULTS: 41 PC patients (30-HP and 11-DHP). 29 patients in stage IV of the tumor. 24 with a WL >10% in the last 6 months. 37 manifest symptoms with nutritional impact. 30 to 34 malnourished according to the GLIM criteria and PG-SGA, respectively. 11 in ECOG level 2 and corresponding KPSI, 10 in level 3 and 8 in level 4. 28 patients had a value of HGD below the 10th percentile. NRS-2002, PG-SGA and GLIM criteria were positively correlated with the symptoms (p < 0.01), % WL (p < 0.01) and ECOG (p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with HGS (p < 0.05 - NRS-2002; p < 0.01 - PG-SGA and GLIM criteria). CONCLUSIONS: PC patients manifest debilitating symptoms with nutritional impact, namely severe WL and anorexia, which in turn lead to deterioration of the NS and FS. It is an oncology population with high nutritional risk and a higher prevalence of malnutrition, associated with severe % WL and symptoms and a sharp decline in FS.

Applicability of the GLIM criteria for the diagnosis of malnutrition in older adults in the emergency ward: A pilot validation study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acutely ill older adults are at higher risk of malnutrition. This study aimed to explore the applicability and accuracy of the GLIM criteria to diagnose malnutrition in acutely ill older adults in the emergency ward (EW). METHODS: We performed a retrospective secondary analysis, of an ongoing cohort study, in 165 participants over 65 years of age admitted to the EW of a Brazilian university hospital. Nutrition assessment included anthropometry, the Simplified Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). We diagnosed malnutrition using GLIM criteria, defined by the parallel presence of at least one phenotypic [nonvolitional weight loss (WL), low BMI, low muscle mass (MM)] and one etiologic criterion [reduced food intake or assimilation (RFI), disease burden/inflammation]. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Cox and logistic regression for data analyses. RESULTS: GLIM criteria, following the MNA-SF screening, classified 50.3% of participants as malnourished, 29.1% of them in a severe stage. Validation of the diagnosis using MNA-FF as a reference showed good accuracy (AUC = 0.84), and moderate sensitivity (76%) and specificity (75.1%). All phenotypic criteria combined with RFI showed the best metrics. Malnutrition showed a trend for an increased risk of transference to intensive care unit (OR = 2.08, 95% CI 0.99, 4.35), and severe malnutrition for in-hospital mortality (HR = 4.23, 95% CI 1.2, 14.9). CONCLUSION: GLIM criteria, following MNA-SF screening, appear to be a feasible approach to diagnose malnutrition in acutely ill older adults in the EW. Nonvolitional WL combined with RFI or acute inflammation were the best components identified and are easily accessible, allowing their potential use in clinical practice.

Determinants of prognosis in geriatric patients followed in respiratory ICU; either infection or malnutrition.

ABSTRACT: Severity of illness, age, malnutrition, and infection are the important factors determining intensive care unit (ICU) survival.The aim of the study is to determine the relations between Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), C-reactive protein/albumin (CAR), and prognosis-mortality of geriatric patients (age of ≥65 years) admitted to intensive care unit.The study with 10/15/2020, 697 approval date, and number retrospectively registered. Between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019, 413 geriatric patients admitted to ICU. The patients were divided into three groups according to their age.The age group, gender, Charlson comorbidity index, intensive care scores (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment), the infection markers (white blood cell, procalcitonin, CAR levels), malnutrition tools for each patient (body mass index, Nutrition Risk in Critically ill score, and GNRI scores) were analyzed retrospectively. Also length of stay (LOS) ICU, length of stay hospital, and 30-day mortality were recorded.Geriatric patients number of 403 was included in the study. Forty-nine (12.3%) patients had a history of malignancy, 272 (67.5%) patients had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease comorbidity. There was no difference in mortality between age groups.In patients with mortality, body mass index, had being Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease history, GNRI, length of stay hospital, and albumin were significantly lower; malignancy comorbidity rate, inotrope use, modified Nutrition Risk in Critically ill score, mechanical ventilation duration, LOS ICU, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II, Charlson comorbidity index, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and CAR were significantly higher.Both malnutrition and infection affect mortality in geriatric patients in intensive care. The GNRI is better than CAR at predicting mortality.

Hypoalbuminemia is Associated with Mortality in Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity Amputation.

BACKGROUND: Poor nutritional status is common among patients undergoing lower extremity amputation (LEA). In this study, the association between preoperative hypoalbuminemia, a marker for malnutrition, and postoperative mortality in patients undergoing LEA was explored. METHODS: Data on patients undergoing LEA between 2005 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed from the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were divided into clinically relevant categories based on their serum albumin level (<2.5, 2.5-3.39, ≥3.4 g/dl) and were further stratified according to amputation level. Operative death was compared across groups and multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate risk-adjusted odds ratio (AOR). RESULTS: In 35,383 patients, the rate of 30-day postoperative mortality was 7.6% (n = 2693). Mortality rate was highest in patients with very low albumin levels (11%) as compared to low (6.8%) and normal levels (3.9%). On multivariable analysis, lower albumin levels emerged as a risk-adjusted independent predictor of mortality. After risk-adjustment, patients with very low albumin levels (AOR [95% CI]: 2.25 [1.969-2.56], P < 0.001) and low albumin levels (AOR [95% CI]: 1.42 [1.239-1.616], P < 0.001) had higher odds of mortality when compared to patients with normal albumin levels. On sensitivity analysis, a similar trend was seen in patients undergoing above knee amputation but not in patients undergoing minor amputations. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing major LEA, hypoalbuminemia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative mortality in a dose response manner, specifically in above knee amputations. Monitoring and optimizing patients' nutritional status before surgery, when possible, may be warranted and should be further explored.

Impact of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) on the Evolution of Disease in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Dysphagia is a highly prevalent symptom in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and the implantation of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a very frequent event. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of PEG implantation on survival and complications in ALS. An interhospital registry of patients with ALS of six hospitals in the Castilla-León region (Spain) was created between January 2015 and December 2017. The data were compared for those in whom a PEG was implanted and those who it was not. A total of 93 patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 64.63 (17.67) years. A total of 38 patients (38.8%) had a PEG implantation. An improvement in the anthropometric parameters was observed among patients who had a PEG from the beginning of nutritional follow-up compared to those who did not, both in BMI (kg/m2) (PEG: 0 months, 22.06; 6 months, 23.04; p < 0.01; NoPEG: 0 months, 24.59-23.87; p > 0.05). Among the deceased patients, 38 (40.4%) those who had an implanted PEG (20 patients (52.6%) had a longer survival time (PEG: 23 (15-35.5) months; NoPEG 11 (4.75-18.5) months; p = 0.01). A PEG showed a survival benefit among ALS patients. Early implantation of a PEG produced a reduction in admissions associated with complications derived from it.