The association between sarcopenia and functional outcomes in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation.

Sarcopenia is widely believed to be linked to poorer outcomes in inpatient rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the impact of sarcopenia on functional outcomes and dietary intake during hospitalization in adults undergoing convalescent rehabilitation. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis at a single rehabilitation institution. The Asian Working Group Consensus Criteria for Sarcopenia was used to diagnose. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score was used at hospital discharge to measure the primary functional outcome. Energy and protein intakes during hospitalization were calculated as part of the nutritional assessment. There were 126 patients in the research (median age, 73 yr;54% women). Stroke (n = 73;53.4% sarcopenia) and musculoskeletal disorders (n = 53;56.6% sarcopenia) were among the admission diagnoses. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the FIM total score at discharge was modestly associated with sarcopenia only in stroke patients (? = 0.1872, P = 0.09), as well as significantly and independently associated with protein intake during admission only in stroke patients (? = 0.3217, P < 0.05). In hospitalized stroke patients undergoing convalescent therapy, sarcopenia is related to lower functional results. Early identification of sarcopenia and treatment with rehabilitation nutrition should be implemented in this population. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 457-463, August, 2023.

Repeated Combined Chemotherapy with Cisplatin Lowers Carnitine Levels in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Carnitine plays an important role in the metabolism of fatty acids. It has also been reported that the administration of anticancer drugs may lead to reductions in serum carnitine levels due to decreased activity of organic cation transporter novel 2, which plays a role in the reabsorption of carnitine in the tubules of the kidney. We therefore studied the change in carnitine levels when chemotherapy was administered repeatedly to patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Ten patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer were enrolled in this study between December 2014 and August 2015. All patients were administered chemotherapy consisting of TS-1 and cisplatin every 3 weeks: 3 received it as adjuvant therapy post resection, the remaining 7 received it as treatment for unresectable tumors. Before the start of each chemotherapy cycle, serum was collected. RESULTS: The mean total carnitine level was 54.5 ± 13.7 µmol/L prior to commencing chemotherapy; it was 46.7 ± 13.5 and 41.4 ± 14.8 µmol/L at the second and third cycles respectively. The total carnitine level was decreased in a statistically significant manner (p = 0.0039). The serum level of total protein and cholinesterase was also decreased significantly (p = 0.0218 and p = 0.0418). CONCLUSION: Carnitine levels decreased during repeated chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer, and they are associated with the nutritional status.