Validity of nutrition screening tools for risk of malnutrition among hospitalized adult patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS: Malnutrition is prevalent among hospitalized patients in developed countries, contributing to negative health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Timely identification and management of malnutrition are crucial. The lack of a universally accepted definition and standardized diagnostic criteria for malnutrition has led to the development of various screening tools, each with varying validity. This complicates early identification of malnutrition, hindering effective intervention strategies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the most valid and reliable nutritional screening tool for assessing the risk of malnutrition in hospitalized adults. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify validation studies published from inception to November 2023, in the Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases. This systematic review was registered in INPLASY (INPLASY202090028). The risk of bias and quality of included studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies version 2 (QUADAS-2). Meta-analyses were performed for screening tools accuracy using the symmetric hierarchical summary receiver operative characteristics models. RESULTS: Of the 1646 articles retrieved, 60 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review, and 21 were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 51 malnutrition risk screening tools and 9 reference standards were identified. The meta-analyses assessed four common malnutrition risk screening tools against two reference standards (Subjective Global Assessment [SGA] and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism [ESPEN] criteria). The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) vs SGA had a sensitivity (95% Confidence Interval) of 0.84 (0.73-0.91), and specificity of 0.85 (0.75-0.91). The MUST vs ESPEN had a sensitivity of 0.97 (0.53-0.99) and specificity of 0.80 (0.50-0.94). The Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) vs SGA had a sensitivity of 0.81 (0.67-0.90) and specificity of 0.79 (0.72-0.74). The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) vs ESPEN had a sensitivity of 0.99 (0.41-0.99) and specificity of 0.60 (0.45-0.73). The Nutrition Universal Screening Tool-2002 (NRS-2002) vs SGA had a sensitivity of 0.76 (0.58-0.87) and specificity of 0.86 (0.76-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The MUST demonstrated high accuracy in detecting malnutrition risk in hospitalized adults. However, the quality of the studies included varied greatly, possibly introducing bias in the results. Future research should compare tools within a specific patient population using a valid and universal gold standard to ensure improved patient care and outcomes.

MAFLD and glomerular hyperfiltration in subjects with prediabetes, visceral obesity and "preserved" kidney function: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in prediabetes, visceral obesity, and preserved kidney function, and explore whether MAFLD is associated with hyperfiltration. METHODS: We analyzed data from 6697 Spanish civil servants, aged 18-65 years, with fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 and ≤ 125 mg/dL (prediabetes, ADA), waist circumference ≥ 94 cm in men and ≥ 80 cm in women (visceral obesity, IDF) and de-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 ml/min, collected during occupational health visits. The association between MAFLD and hyperfiltration (eGFR > age- and sex-specific 95th percentile) was tested by multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 4213 patients (62.9%) had MAFLD, and 330 (4.9%) were hyperfiltering. MAFLD was more frequent in hyperfiltering than in non-hyperfiltering subjects (86.4% vs 61.7%, P < 0.001). BMI, waist circumference, systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure, and prevalence of hypertension were higher in hyperfiltering than in non-hyperfiltering subjects (P < 0.05). MAFLD was independently associated with hyperfiltration, even after adjusting for common confounders [OR (95% CI): 3.36 (2.33-4.84), P < 0.001]. In stratified analyses MAFLD potentiated age-related eGFR decline vs. non-MAFLD (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of subjects with prediabetes, visceral obesity and eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min presented MAFLD that was associated with hyperfiltration and potentiated the age-related eGFR decline.

Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Prediabetes and Overweight or Obesity.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health problem associated with liver morbimortality, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of NAFLD (defined as a fatty liver index [FLI] ≥ 60) and its association with other cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors in patients with prediabetes and overweight/obesity. The present cross-sectional analysis uses baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, CVR (assessed by the REGICOR-Framingham risk equation), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and FLI-defined NAFLD (cut-off value of ≥60) were assessed. The prevalence of FLI-defined NAFLD was 78% overall. Men exhibited a worse cardiometabolic profile as compared to women, specifically, with higher values of systolic blood pressure (137.02 ± 13.48 vs. 131.22 ± 14.77 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (85.33 ± 9.27 vs. 82.3 ± 9.12 mmHg), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (27.23 ± 12.15 vs. 21.23 ± 10.05 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (34.03 ± 23.31 vs. 21.73 ± 10.80 IU/L), and higher CVR (5.58 ± 3.16 vs. 3.60 ± 1.68). FLI-defined NAFLD was associated with elevated AST, ALT, and the presence of MetS (73.7%) and CVR for the whole sample. People with prediabetes present a high burden of comorbidities related to CVR, despite clinical follow-up, and it is recommended to actively begin working with them to reduce their risks.

Efficacy of Different Modalities and Frequencies of Physical Exercise on Glucose Control in People with Prediabetes (GLYCEX Randomised Trial).

To assess the efficacy of different modalities and frequencies of physical exercise on glycaemic control in adults with prediabetes. A two-phase, parallel, randomised, controlled clinical trial will be carried out, in 210 participants. In phase 1, 120 participants will be randomized into four arms: (1) aerobic exercise, (2) aerobic exercise combined with resistance, (3) high-intensity intervallic exercise and (4) control group. In phase 2, 90 new participants will be randomized into three arms, using the exercise modality that showed the best glycaemic control in phase 1 in the following manner: (1) frequency of 5 days/week, (2) frequency of 3 days/week and (3) frequency of 2 days/week. The control group (n = 30) will be included in phase 1 to evaluate the effect of any type of intervention versus no intervention. Data collection will be performed at baseline and after 15 weeks of follow up. Sociodemographic data, medication, comorbidity, blood biochemical parameters, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, body composition, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, quality of life and sleep questionnaires will be collected. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep will be further determined with an accelerometer, and continuous glycaemia will be determined with a glycaemic monitor, both during seven days, at two time points. The main dependent variable will be the reduction in the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions. The impact of these interventions on health will also be evaluated through gene expression analysis in peripheral blood cells. The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the glucose response to physical exercise in a population with prediabetes as well as improve physical exercise prescriptions for diabetes prevention. Increasing glycaemic control in people with prediabetes through physical exercise offers an opportunity to prevent diabetes and reduce associated comorbidities and health costs.

Sex and age differences in the association of fatty liver index-defined non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with cardiometabolic risk factors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the extensive scientific evidence accumulating on the epidemiological risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), evidence exploring sex- and age-related differences remains insufficient. The present cross-sectional study aims to investigate possible sex differences in the prevalence of FLI-defined NAFLD as well as in its association with common risk factors across different age groups, in a large sample of Spanish working adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included data from 33,216 Spanish adult workers (18-65 years) randomly selected during voluntary routine occupational medical examinations. Sociodemographic characteristics (age and social class), anthropometric (height, weight, and waist circumference) and clinical parameters (blood pressure and serum parameters) were collected. NAFLD was determined by the validated fatty liver index (FLI) with a cut-off value of ≥ 60. The presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was assessed according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. Cardiovascular risk was determined using the REGICOR-Framingham equation. The association between FLI-defined NAFLD and risk factors by sex and age was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of FLI-defined NAFLD (FLI ≥ 60) was 19.1% overall, 27.9% (95% CI 23.3-28.5%) for men and 6.8% (95% CI 6.4-7.3%) for women and increasing across age intervals. As compared to women, men presented worse cardiometabolic and anthropometric profiles. The multivariate analysis model showed that hepatic steatosis assessed by FLI was strongly associated with age, HDL-cholesterol, social class, prediabetes, diabetes, prehypertension, hypertension, and smoking status for both men and women. The association between diabetes and hypertension with FLI-defined NAFLD was stronger in women than in men at both univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Men presented a higher prevalence of NAFLD than women across all age intervals, as well as a worse cardiometabolic profile and a higher cardiovascular risk. Nevertheless, the association between FLI-defined NAFLD and diabetes or hypertension was significantly stronger in women than in men, possibly indicating that the presence of a dysmetabolic state might affect women more than men with regard to liver outcomes.

Fatty liver index and progression to type 2 diabetes: a 5-year longitudinal study in Spanish workers with pre-diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the study was to evaluate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), estimated by fatty liver index (FLI), and the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a large cohort of adult workers with pre-diabetes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Occupational health services from Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 16 648 adult workers (aged 20-65 years) with pre-diabetes (fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 100-125 mg/dL). OUTCOME AND MEASURES: FLI was calculated based on measurements of triglycerides, body mass index, waist circumference and γ-glutamyltransferase. The population was classified into three categories: FLI<30 (no hepatic steatosis), FLI 30-60 (intermediate status) and FLI>60 (hepatic steatosis). Sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary habits, physical activity and clinical data were collected from all subjects. The incidence rate of T2D was determined after 5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: After 5 years of follow-up, 3706 of the 16 648 participants (22.2%) were diagnosed with T2D, corresponding to an annual rate of progression of 4.5%. FLI was strongly associated with T2D conversion. The incidence rates of T2D in the FLI<30, FLI 30-60 and FLI>60 groups were significantly different after 5 years of follow-up were 19/6,421 (0.3%), 338/4,318 (7.8%) and 3,349/5,909 (56.7%), respectively. This association remained significant for FLI>60 after adjustment for, age, diet, physical activity, FPG, blood pressure, social class and smoking habits (adjusted HR=6.879; 95% CI 5.873 to 8.057 for men, and HR=5.806; 95% CI 4.863 to 6.932 for women). CONCLUSION: NAFLD assessed by FLI independently predicted the risk of conversion to T2D among people with pre-diabetes. FLI may be an easily determined and valuable early predictor for T2D in people with pre-diabetes. FLI-based assessment of NAFLD in subjects with pre-diabetes in routine clinical practice could allow the adoption of effective measures to prevent and reduce their progression to T2D.

Utility of Fatty Liver Index to predict reversion to normoglycemia in people with prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: Fatty Liver Index (FLI) is strongly associated with changes in glycemic status and incident Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). The probability of reverting to normoglycemia from a state prediabetes could be determined by FLI, however such relationship remains poorly understood. AIM: To determine the clinical interest of using FLI to estimate prediabetes reversion at 5 years in patients with impaired fasting plasma glucose at baseline, and identify those factors associated with changes in FLI, that could contribute to the reversion of prediabetes. METHODS: This 5-year cohort study included 16,648 Spanish working adults with prediabetes. Prediabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) between 100 and 125 mg/dl according to the ADA criteria, while prediabetes reversion was defined as a FPG <100 mg/dL. The population was classified as: FLI <30 (no hepatic steatosis), FLI 30-59 (intermediate status), and FLI ≥60 (hepatic steatosis). RESULTS: At 5 years follow-up, 33.7% of subjects reverted to normoglycemia (annual rate of 6.7%). The adjusted binomial logistic regression model showed that scoring FLI <30 (OR 1.544; 95% CI 1.355-1.759), performing at least 150 min/week of physical activity (OR 4.600; 95% CI 4.088-5.177) and consuming fruits and vegetables daily (OR 1.682; 95% CI 1.526-1.855) were associated with the probability of reverting form prediabetes to normoglycemia. The ROC curve for prediction of reversion showed that FLI (AUC 0.774;95% CI 0.767-0.781) was a better predictor than FPG (AUC 0.656; 95% CI 0.648-0.664). CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity, healthy dietary habits and absence of hepatic steatosis are independently associated with the probability of reversion to normoglycemia in adult workers with prediabetes at baseline. Low FLI values (especially FLI< 30) may be useful to predict the probability of prediabetes reversion, especially in active subjects with healthy eating habits, and thus identify those who might benefit from early lifestyle intervention.

Nurse-led telephone intervention for lifestyle changes on glycaemic control in people with prediabetes: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led personalized telephone lifestyle intervention versus automated SMSs in the reduction of fasting plasma glucose in adults with prediabetes. DESIGN: The PREDIPHONE is a randomized controlled, parallel, two arms, superiority trial with 15 months of follow-up. Participants will be randomized to either the intervention group (teleconsultations) or the active control group (SMSs). METHODS: A total of 428 participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of the two arms and followed up during 9 months. The teleconsultations group will receive nurse-led personalized advice, while the SMSs group will receive 4-5 brief SMSs a week. Participants in both groups will receive evidence-based recommendations for diet and physical activity (PA). Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, months 4 and 9 and at month 15, to evaluate post-intervention effects. DISCUSSION: Prevention of diabetes through the implementation of lifestyle interventions remains an important priority. The current pandemic situation has magnified its urgency as it heavily affected the functionality of the healthcare system. Moreover, it created the need of remotely delivering preventative interventions. This study will provide insights on the effectiveness and feasibility of a telephone-based intervention led by nurses in the amelioration of risk factors associated with diabetes. IMPACT: Findings from this study will offer health services decision-makers sound evidence regarding an alternative method to face-to-face consultations that could be practical, acceptable and inexpensive, and that concretely answers the need for easily implementable prevention strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04735640 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier). PROTOCOL VERSION: V1.0, 18/02/2021.

Nutrition screening tools for risk of malnutrition among hospitalized patients: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a clinical problem with a high prevalence in hospitalized adult patients. Many nutritional screening tools have been developed but there is no consensus on which 1 is more useful. The purpose of this review protocol is to provide an overview of which nutritional screening tool is most valid to identify malnutritional risk in hospitalized adult patients and to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of the different tools. METHODS: The protocol of this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered on the INPLASY website (https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2020-9-0028/) and INPLASY registration number is INPLASY202090028. We will perform a systematic literature search of main databases: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Web of Science and the Cochrane database. Also, grey literature will be search. Peer-reviewed studies published in English, Portuguese or Spanish language will be selected. Screening of titles, abstract and full text will be assessed for eligibility by 2 independent blinded reviewers and any discrepancies will be resolved via consensus. After screening the studies, a meta-analysis will be conducted, if it is possible. RESULTS: Results from this systematic review will help health professionals to identify malnutrition in hospitalized patients and to make decisions to prevent or treat it as well as provide new clues to researchers. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review will provide aknowledge about the most valid malnutrition risk screening tool in hospitalized adult patients.

Lifestyle and Progression to Type 2 Diabetes in a Cohort of Workers with Prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: People with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Few studies have evaluated the influence of lifestyle factors on the risk of progression to diabetes and reversion to normoglycemia. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of T2D in a large cohort of workers with prediabetes, and to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, metabolic, and lifestyle factors that affect the persistence of prediabetes and the progression to T2D. METHODS: A cohort study of 27,844 adult workers (aged 20 to 65 years) from Spain who had prediabetes based on an occupational medical examination from 2012 to 2013. Prediabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) between 100 and 125 mg/dL. At the baseline evaluation, sociodemographic, anthropometric, metabolic, and lifestyle data were collected. At the 5-year follow-up, incident T2D was defined as an FPG of at least 126 mg/dL or initiation of an antidiabetic medication. RESULTS: Among 235,995 initially screened workers, the prevalence of T2D was 14.19% (95% confidence interval (CI) 14.05 to 14.33) and the prevalence of prediabetes was 11.85% (95% CI 11.71 to 11.99). Follow-up data were available for 23,293 individuals with prediabetes. Among them, 36.08% (95% CI 35.46 to 36.70) returned to normoglycemia, 40.92% (95% CI 40.29 to 41.55) had persistent prediabetes, and 23.00% (95% CI 22.46 to 23.54) progressed to T2D. The risk for persistence of prediabetes and for progression to T2D increased with age, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride level, and less than 150 min/week of physical activity. An HbA1c level of 6% or greater was the strongest individual predictor of progression to T2D. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity, diet, smoking, and BMI are modifiable factors that are associated with the persistence of prediabetes and the progression to T2D. The workplace is a feasible setting for the early detection of prediabetes and the promotion of lifestyles that can prevent progression to T2D.