Malnutrition risk frequency and independent risk factors associated with mortality in hospitalized elderly patients with COVID-19 in Turkey.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition is common in elderly patients and is an important geriatric syndrome that increases mortality. We aim to examine the frequency of malnutrition and independent risk factors associated with mortality in hospitalized elderly patients with COVID-19. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Patients aged 65 years and older with COVID-19, who were hospitalized between 15th March and 30th April 2020, were included. Demographic characteristics of the patients, their comorbid diseases, medications, malnutrition, and mortality status were recorded. Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 was used as a malnutrition risk screening tool. The factors affecting mortality were analyzed using multivariate Binary Logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 451 patients included in the study, the mean age was 74.8±7.46 and 51.2% of them were female. The mean number of comorbid diseases was 1.9±1.28. Malnutrition risk was 64.7%, polymorbidity rate was 57.6% and polypharmacy was 19.3%. Mortality rate was found 18.4%. The risk factors affecting mortality were presented as malnutrition risk (OR: 3.26, p=0.013), high number of comorbid diseases (OR: 1.48, p=0.006), and high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (OR: 1.18, p<0.001), C-reactive protein (OR: 1.01, p<0.001), and ferritin (OR: 1.01, p=0.041) in elderly patients with COVID-19. Malnutrition risk (3.3 times), multiple comorbid diseases (1.5 times), and high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (1.2 times) were independent risk factors that increased the mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of malnutrition risk and mortality in elderly patients with COVID-19 is high. The independent risk factors affecting mortality in these patients are the risk of malnutrition, multiple comorbid diseases, and a high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio.