RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nutritional status (NS) is not routinely assessed in HF. We sought to evaluate whether NS may be additive to a comprehensive pre-discharge evaluation based on a clinical score that includes BMI (MAGGIC) and on an index of functional capacity (six minute walking test, 6mWT) in HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The CONUT (Controlling Nutritional Status) score (including serum albumin level, total cholesterol and lymphocyte count) was computed in 466 consecutive patients (mean age 61 ± 11 years, NYHA class 2.6 ± 0.6, LVEF 34 ± 11%, BMI 27.2 ± 4.5) who had pre-discharge MAGGIC and 6MWT. The endpoint was all-cause mortality. Mild or moderate undernourishment was present in 54% of patients with no differences across BMI strata. The 12-month event rate was 7.7%. Deceased patients had a more compromised NS (CONUT 2.8 ± 1.5 vs 1.7 ± 1.3, p < 0.0001), and a more advanced HF (MAGGIC 28.2 ± 6.0 vs 22.0 ± 6.6, p < 0.0001; 6MWT 311.1 ± 102.2 vs. 408.9 ± 95.9 m, p < 0.0001). The 12-month mortality rate varied from 4% for well-nourished to 11% for undernourished patients (p = 0.008). At univariate analysis, the CONUT was predictive for all-cause mortality with a Hazard Ratio of 1.701 [95% CI 1.363-2.122], p < 0.0001. Multivariable analysis showed that the CONUT significantly added to the combination of MAGGIC and 6MWT and improved predictive discrimination and risk classification (c-index 0.82 [95% CI 0.75-0.88], integrated discrimination improvement 0.028 [95% CI 0.015-0.081]). CONCLUSIONS: In HF patients assessment of NS, significantly improves prediction of 12-month mortality on top of the information provided by clinical evaluation and functional capacity and should be incorporated in the overall assessment of HF patients.