Usefulness of body mass index to characterize nutritional status in patients with heart failure

Changes in nutritional status and the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome following pediatric heart transplantation

BACKGROUND

Nutritional status in pediatric patients undergoing heart transplantation (HT) is frequently a focus of clinical management and requires high resource utilization. Pre-operative nutrition status has been shown to affect post-operative mortality but no studies have been performed to assess how nutritional status may change and the risk of developing nutritional comorbidities long-term in the post-transplant period.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective chart review of patients ≥2 years of age who underwent heart transplantation between 1/1/2005 and 4/30/2020 was performed. Patient data were collected at listing, time of transplant, 1-year, and 3-year follow-up post-transplant. Nutrition status was classified based on body mass index (BMI) percentile in the primary analysis. Alternative nutritional indices, namely the nutrition risk index (NRI), prognostic nutrition index (PNI), and BMI z-score, were utilized in secondary analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 63 patients included, the proportion of patients with overweight/obese status increased from 21% at listing to 41% at 3-year follow-up. No underweight patients at listing became overweight/obese at follow-up. Of patients who were overweight/obese at listing, 88% maintained that status at 3-year follow-up. Overweight/obese status at listing, 1-year, and 3-year post-transplantation were significantly associated with developing metabolic syndrome. In comparison to the alternative nutritional indices, BMI percentile best predicted post-transplant metabolic syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that pediatric patients who undergo heart transplantation are at risk of developing overweight/obesity and related nutritional sequelae (ie, metabolic syndrome). Improved surveillance and interventions targeted toward overweight/obese HT patients should be investigated to reduce the burden of associated comorbidities.

Effects of weight loss in heart failure patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of weight loss (WL) on the prognosis of overweight and obese patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We reviewed the literature up to 1 February 2023 from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases for cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data from eligible studies were extracted, and statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3. A total of 19 studies (involving 449 882 patients) were included in the systematic review and meta-analyses. The results showed that WL did not reduce the mortality and rehospitalization rates in overweight and obese HF patients, but could improve the quality of life (P = 0.002), cardiac function (P = 0.0001), and exercise capacity (P = 0.03). The subgroup analysis showed that WL from bariatric surgery (BS) reduced the risk of death (P < 0.00001), WL from medication or exercise was not significantly associated with the risk of death (P = 0.18), and WL was associated with a higher mortality in the subgroup with unspecified WL modality or unintentional WL (P < 0.00001). In addition, it did not reduce the risk of short-term rehospitalization (P = 0.11), but reduced the rehospitalization rates over the long-term (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

WL improves the long-term rehospitalization (>3 months), quality of life, cardiac function, and exercise capacity in overweight and obese HF patients. Although overall WL is not proven effective, subgroup analysis shows that BS can reduce mortality.

Prediction of all-cause mortality with malnutrition assessed by nutritional screening and assessment tools in patients with heart failure：a systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In the absence of a gold standard or scientific consensus regarding the nutritional evaluation of heart failure (HF) patients, this study aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate the prognostic value of nutritional screening and assessment tools used for all-cause mortality in HF patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Relevant studies were retrieved from major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, and China Biology Medicine disc (CMB)) and searched from the earliest available date until July 2021. If three or more studies used the same tool, meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3 was performed. This systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (number CRD42021275575). A total of 36 articles involving 25,141 HF patients were included for qualitative analysis and 31 studies for quantitative analysis. Meta-analysis of these studies indicated, poor nutritional status evaluated by using 5 nutritional screening tools (Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Controlling Nutritional Status Score (CONUT), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and Short Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF)) or 2 nutritional assessment tools (the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Generated Subjective Global Assessment (SGA)) predicted all-cause mortality in HF patients. Of all tools analyzed, MNA had the maximum HR for mortality [HR = 2.62, 95%CI 1.11-6.20, P = 0.03] and MNA-SF [HR = 1.94, 95%CI 1.40-2.70, P＜0.001] was the best nutritional screening tools.

CONCLUSION

Poor nutritional status predicted all-cause mortality in HF patients. MNA may be the best nutritional assessment tool, and MNA-SF is most recommended for HF patient nutritional screening. The application value of MNA, especially in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), needs to be further confirmed. The clinical application value of Mini-Nutrition Assessment Special for Heart Failure (MNA-HF) and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) in HF patients needs to be confirmed.

Nutritional Status According to the GLIM Criteria in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: Association with Prognosis

BACKGROUND

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria were recently proposed to build a global consensus on the diagnostic criteria for malnutrition. This study aimed to evaluate the GLIM criteria for its prognostic significance in outpatients with heart failure (HF), and to compare them to a previous validated method, such as the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA).

METHODS

This was a post hoc observational analysis of a prospectively recruited cohort, which included 151 subjects that attended an outpatient HF clinic. At baseline, all patients completed the nutritional screening MNA short form and the nutritional assessment MNA. In a post hoc analysis, we evaluated the GLIM criteria at baseline. The outcomes were based on data from a five-year follow-up. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints were cardiovascular (CV) mortality and recurrent HF-related hospitalizations. We also investigated whether the GLIM criteria had better prognostic power than the MNA.

RESULTS

Abnormal nutritional status was identified in 19.8% of the patients with the GLIM criteria and in 25.1% with the MNA. In the multivariate analyses (age, sex, NYHA functional class, diabetes, and Barthel index), nutritional status assessed by the MNA, but not by the GLIM criteria, was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, CV mortality, and recurrent HF-related hospitalizations during the five-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Malnutrition assessed by MNA, but not by the GLIM criteria, was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, CV mortality, and recurrent HF-related hospitalization in our cohort of outpatients with HF.

Impact of geriatric nutritional risk index on outcomes after gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer: a retrospective multicenter study in Japan

BACKGROUND

Several studies investigated the utility of inflammation and nutritional markers in predicting the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer; however, the markers with the best predictive ability remain unclear. This retrospective study aimed to determine inflammation and nutritional markers that predicted prognosis in elderly patients over 75 years of age undergoing curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2005 and December 2015, 497 consecutive elderly gastric cancer patients aged over 75 years underwent curative gastrectomy in 12 institutions. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), prognostic nutritional index, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio were examined as prognostic markers for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) using area under the curve (AUC) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

The GNRI had the highest AUC and predictive value for both OS (0.637, p < 0.001) and DSS (AUC 0.645, p < 0.001). The study cohort was categorized into the high and low GNRI groups based on the optimal GNRI cut-off values for OS (97.0) and DSS (95.8) determined with the ROC analysis. For both OS and DSS, there was a significant correlation between the GNRI and several clinicopathological factors including age, body mass index, albumin, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, pathological stage, operation duration, bleeding, procedure, approach, death due to primary disease, and death due to other disease. The GNRI remained a crucial independent prognostic factor for both OS (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.905, p < 0.001) and DSS in multivariate analysis (HR = 1.780, p = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONS

Among a panel of inflammation and nutritional markers, the GNRI exhibited the best performance as a prognostic factor after curative gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer, indicating its utility as a simple and promising index for predicting OS and DSS in these patients.

Undernutrition and Cachexia in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure and Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Occurrence and Association with Hospital Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Nutritional disorders are common among patients with heart failure (HF) and associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, some populations of patients, like the ones with Chagas disease, are frequently excluded from most analyses.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to study the occurrence of undernutrition and cachexia in patients with Chagas disease during episodes of decompensated HF (DHF) as compared to other etiologies, and to investigate the influence of these findings on hospital outcomes.

METHODS

We performed a consecutive case series study with patients hospitalized with DHF. Patients underwent the Subjective Global Assessment of nutritional status (SGA), besides anthropometric and laboratorial measures, and were evaluated for the occurrence of cachexia, low muscle mass and strength. We studied the occurrence of death or urgent heart transplantation during hospitalization.

RESULTS

Altogether, 131 patients were analyzed and 42 (32.1%) had Chagas disease. Patients with Chagas disease had lower Body Mass Index (BMI) (22.4 kg/m2[19.9-25.3] vs. 23.6 kg/m2 [20.8-27.3], p=0.03), higher frequency of undernutrition (76.2% vs 55.1%, p=0.015) and higher occurrence of death or transplant (83.3% vs. 41.6%, p<0.001). We found that, in patients with Chagas etiology, the occurrence of death or cardiac transplantation were associated with undernutrition (3 [42.9%] patients with hospital discharge vs 29 [82.9%] patients with death or heart transplant, p=0.043).

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our results indicate that patients with Chagas disease hospitalized with DHF often present with nutritional disorders, especially undernutrition; importantly, this finding was associated with the occurrence of death and heart transplant during hospitalization.

Predictive Value of the Serum Cystatin C/Prealbumin Ratio in Combination With NT-proBNP Levels for Long-Term Prognosis in Chronic Heart Failure Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Aim: The present study was established to investigate the use of the serum cystatin C/prealbumin (Cys-C/PAB) ratio as a predictive factor for long-term prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure.

Methods: We divided our retrospective cohort of 6,311 patients admitted to hospital due to an episode of heart failure (HF) into three groups according to the Cys-C/PAB ratio. The endpoints were cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Median follow-up time were 3.3 years (2–8 years), during which 2,945 (46.7%) patients died.

Results: The Cys-C/PAB ratio was revealed to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.15–1.23, P < 0.01) and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13–1.24, P < 0.01) by multivariable Cox analysis. Integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) showed that the Cys-C/PAB ratio in conjunction with the level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) conferred a significant improvement in predicting individual risks of cardiovascular (P = 0.023) and all-cause (P = 0.028) mortality. For those with a high Cys-C/PAB ratio in combination with a high NT-proBNP level, the long-term cardiovascular mortality risk ratio was 8.6-times higher than for those with low values, and 7.51-times for all-cause mortality. Our study also showed that Cys-C/PAB and NT-proBNP in combination displayed higher value for the prediction of cardiovascular and all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients with HF.

Conclusions: The Cys-C/PAB ratio is valuable for predicting cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with HF and offers additional information to that provided by NT-proBNP.

Mid-arm muscle circumference as an indicator of exercise tolerance in chronic heart failure

AIM

Skeletal muscle mass is associated with exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Anthropometric indicators are used to evaluate skeletal muscle mass, as these can be easily assessed in clinical practice. However, the association between anthropometric indicators and exercise tolerance is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between anthropometric indicators and exercise tolerance in CHF patients.

METHODS

We evaluated 69 patients with CHF. Mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), calf circumference and body mass index were measured as the anthropometric indicators. Exercise tolerance was evaluated according to the peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ ). Correlation analyses were carried out to determine the association between peak VO₂ and anthropometric indicators. Furthermore, univariate and multiple regression analyses were carried out using peak VO₂ as the dependent variable, and age, male, left ventricular ejection fraction, angiotensin II receptor blocker or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, diuretics, B-type natriuretic peptide, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin and anthropometric indicators as the independent variables.

RESULTS

There were significant positive correlations between the peak VO₂ and mid-arm circumference (r_s = 0.378, P = 0.001), MAMC (r = 0.634, P < 0.001) and calf circumference (r = 0.292, P = 0.015). In multiple regression analysis, MAMC (β = 0.721, P < 0.001) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (β = 0.279, P = 0.007) were independent factors associated with peak VO₂ .

CONCLUSIONS

MAMC is independently associated with peak VO₂ in CHF patients. Thus, MAMC could be an indicator of exercise tolerance, which is closely related to the severity and prognosis of CHF. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 411-415.

Survival and Nutritional Status of Male and Female Heart Transplant Patients Based on the Nutritional Risk Index

Malnutrition among heart-transplant patients may affect survival. The aim was to investigate the survival and nutrition status among male and female heart transplant patients who underwent transplantation, before and 1 year after surgery based on the nutritional risk index (NRI). The medical records of ninety heart-transplant patients (2009–2014) from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, were reviewed. The assessment included demographic data, anthropometric measurements, and NRI calculation. Moreover, postoperative data included the length of stay and survival. Paired t-test and survival analysis by Kaplan–Meier (KM) curves were used. A total of 90 patients (males 77.78%) were included. The prevalence of malnutrition in the preoperative phase by NRI was 60% (7.78% as severe; 40% as moderate, and 12.22% mild NRI scores). After 1 year, body mass index (BMI) and NRI increased significantly (p < 0.001). Furthermore, NRI was significantly different between men and women (p < 0.01), while KM survival curves were insignificantly different (p = 0.67). Recipients with postoperative moderate or severe nutritional risk (NRI < 97.5) had significantly shorter survival in the first-year post-transplantation (HR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.75–0.89; p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that the NRI after 1 year of transplant correlated significantly with mortality. Besides, there was no significant gender difference regarding survival; however, malnutrition and low survival were more prominent among women.

Assessment of Nutritive Status in Patients with Symptoms of Heart Failure

Aim of the research. To study the parameters of nutritional status of patients with acute and chronic coronary syndromes and symptoms of heart failure in conjunction with clinical, anthropometric, laboratory parameters, structural and functional characteristics of the heart. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study of 106 patients with acute and chronic coronary syndromes and symptoms of heart failure. All subjects underwent an integrated assessment of the nutritional status (anthropometric, caliperometric (caliper metric) indicators, CONUT scale (lymphocytes, total cholesterol, albumin), hormonal indicators (N-terminal brain natriuretic propeptide), structural changes in the myocardium using echocardiography, exercise tolerance by 6-minute walk test. Results. Nutritional deficiency, according to CONUT scale, was found in 81.1 % of cases (86 patients). In the group of patients with the presence of malnutrition, there were significantly high level of fibrinogen and N-terminal brain natriuretic propeptide. The interpretation of changes in body composition showed a significant upward trend in the prognostic index of hypotrophy and a decrease in lean body mass as heart failure progresses. The dependence of nutritive insufficiency on the CONUT scale with laboratory parameters (creatinine, fibrinogen, brain natriuretic propeptide), structural and functional characteristics of the heart (diastolic and systolic dimensions of the left ventricle, ejection fraction, left ventricular myocardial mass index), a functional indicator of tolerance to the physical load (6-minute walk test) was determined. Conclusion. An integrated analysis of nutritional status indicators of patients with heart failure revealed an increase of malnutrition signs with an increase of the severity of HF. Pathological effects of nutritional deficiency are associated with impaired left ventricular systolic function, reduced exercise tolerance.

Nutrition intervention in heart failure: should consumption of the DASH eating pattern be recommended to improve outcomes?

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, systemic disorder that presents a serious and growing public health problem due to its high prevalence, mortality, and cost of care. Due to the aging of the population and medical advances that prolong the life of HF patients, more effective, widespread strategies for improved HF management in this rapidly growing patient population are needed. While the prevalence of malnutrition in HF patients has been well characterized, evidence is limited regarding the effects of specific macro- and micronutrient deficiencies on HF outcomes and their interaction with other aspects of HF management, including pharmacotherapy. There is a mounting appreciation for the effects of nutritional intervention on pathophysiology, treatment, and outcomes in patients with HF. Heart-healthy dietary patterns, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), carry importance for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. While preliminary evidence looks promising regarding effects of DASH eating pattern consumption on ventricular function and 30-day hospitalizations in HF patients, more research is needed to confirm its effects on short-term and long-term HF outcomes while better understand underlying mechanisms in the context of HF pharmacotherapy.

Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form is a morbi-mortality predictor in outpatients with heart failure and mid-range left ventricular ejection fraction

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Nutritional status is an important prognostic factor in patients with heart failure (HF). In a pilot study we previously observed that the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form tool (MNA-SF) was the best approach for the screening of nutritional status in HF outpatients over other screening tools. The current study aimed to determine whether the MNA-SF has prognostic value in outpatients with HF and whether the impact of malnutrition differs depending on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

METHODS

Prospective study performed in outpatients attending a HF clinic at a university hospital. All subjects completed the MNA-SF at study entry. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Secondary end-points were the number of recurrent HF-related hospitalizations and the composite end-point of all-cause death or HF-related hospitalizations. Patients with malnutrition and at risk of malnutrition were merged and considered as having abnormal nutritional status for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

From October 2016 to November 2017, 555 patients were included (age 69 ± 11.5 years, 71% male, LVEF 44.6 ± 13.2). Abnormal nutritional status was identified in 103 (18.6%) subjects. HF patients with preserved LVEF had a higher proportion of abnormal nutritional status (23%) than patients with HF and mid-range LVEF (HFmrEF) (16.4%) or those with HF with reduced LVEF (HFrEF) (15.9%.). During a mean follow-up of 23.8 ± 6.6 months, 99 patients died (17.8%), 74 were hospitalized due to HF (13.3%) and the composite end-point was observed in 181 (32.6%). In the univariate analysis, abnormal nutritional status was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p = 0.02) and the composite end-point (p = 0.02) in the total cohort. However, in the multivariate analysis including age, sex, NYHA functional class, BMI, ischemic aetiology, diabetes, hypertension and HF duration, abnormal nutritional status remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 3.32 [95%CI 1.47-7.52], p = 0.004), and the composite end-point (HR 2.53 [95%CI 1.30-4.94], p = 0.006) only in HFmrEF patients. Patients with abnormal nutritional status suffered double the crude number of recurrent HF-related hospitalizations (16.4 vs. 8.4 per 100 patients-years, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of MNA-SF as a routine screening tool allowed the detection of abnormal nutritional status in almost one out of five ambulatory HF patients. Nutritional status assessed by the MNA-SF was an independent predictor of all-cause death and the composite end-point of all-cause death or HF-related hospitalization in outpatients with HFmrEF. Furthermore, abnormal nutritional status was significantly related to recurrent hospitalizations across the HF spectrum.

Sarcopenia associates with increased hospitalization rates and reduced survival in patients with chronic pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Objectives: Malnutrition is a well-known complication of chronic pancreatitis and alterations in body composition are common in this context. We investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with chronic pancreatitis, its associated risk factors and health-related outcome.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of chronic pancreatitis outpatients. Bioelectric impedance was used to measure body composition, and a handheld dynamometer and the timed-up-and-go test characterized muscle function. Several demographic and disease characteristics, including exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), were analyzed for their association with sarcopenia. The EORCT QLQ-C30 questionnaire was used to document life quality, and associations between sarcopenia and the number of hospital admissions, the number of in-hospital days and survival over the next 12 months were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 182 patients were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 17.0% (95% CI; 11.9-23.3) and 74% of sarcopenic patients had a BMI in the normal or overweight range (BMI >18.5 kg/m²). EPI was an independent risk factor for sarcopenia (OR 3.8 95% CI [1.2-12.5]; p = 0.03). Several QLQ-C30 scales and items were associated with sarcopenia including physical functioning (p < 0.001) and global health (p = 0.003). During follow-up, sarcopenia was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (OR 2.2 95% CI [0.9-5.0]; p = 0.07), increased number of in-hospital days (p < 0.001), and reduced survival (HR 6.7 [95% CI; 1.8-25.0]; p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis and associates with adverse health-related outcomes. As sarcopenia is not recognized by conventional anthropometric parameters in the majority of patients, systematic nutritional assessment should be prioritized.

Mini nutritional assessment is a better predictor of mortality than subjective global assessment in heart failure out-patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There is no consensus on the best method for nutritional screening and assessment in patients with heart failure (HF). This study aimed to determine which nutritional assessment method had the highest prognostic significance for patients with HF treated in outpatient clinics. We also aimed to identify a fast, reliable screening method for detecting malnutrition in these patients.

METHODS

This prospective study included 151 subjects that attended an outpatient HF clinic at a university hospital. All patients completed three nutritional screening tools: the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), the MNA-short form (MNA-SF), and the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and then, two nutritional assessment questionnaires: the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment®(MNA). Patients were followed-up for 2 years. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Malnutrition or nutritional risk was identified in 15.9% of patients with the SGA and in 25.1% of patients with the MNA. Age, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and MNA were the only independent all-cause death predictors after adjusting for age, gender, NYHA functional class, body mass index, Barthel index, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, and treatment with beta-blockers. The SGA could not independently predict all-cause mortality in a multivariate analysis that included the same covariates. The MNA-SF had the best sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficient for screening malnutrition, based on the MNA and the SGA as references, compared to the other screening methods.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort, malnutrition assessed by MNA, but not by SGA, was an independent predictor of mortality. MNA-SF showed remarkable sensitivity and specificity; thus, it might be a valuable tool for rapidly identifying malnutrition risk in outpatients with HF.

Prognostic Value of the Nutritional Risk Index in Candidates for Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Malnutrition has been shown to affect clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of preoperative nutritional status assessed by the nutritional risk index (NRI) on the prognosis of patients with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of 279 patients who underwent cf-LVAD implantation between 2009 and 2015 in our center. Preoperative NRI was calculated and the patients were followed-up for 1 year. The association between preoperative NRI and postoperative clinical events was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of severe (NRI <83.5), moderate (83.5 ≤ NRI <97.5) and mild (97.5 ≤ NRI <100) nutritional risk was 5.4%, 21.5%, and 9.3%. Mortality rates 1 year after cf-LVAD implantation in these 3 categories were 53.3%, 31.7%, 23.1% vs 18.0% (P <.001) in patients with a normal IRN. A normal preoperative NRI value was an independent predictor of lower risk of death from any cause during follow-up (aHR per 1 unit, 0.961; 95%CI, 0.941-0.981; P <.001) was and a predictor for a lower risk of postoperative infections (aOR, 0.968; 95%CI, 0.946-0.991; P=.007), respiratory failure (aOR, 0,961; 95%CI, 0.936-0.987; P=.004), and right heart failure (aOR, 0.963; 95%CI, 0.934-0.992; P=.014).

CONCLUSIONS

Malnourished patients are at increased risk for postoperative complications and death after cf-LVAD implantation. Assessment of nutritional risk could improve patient selection and the early initiation of nutritional support.

Review of nutritional screening and assessment tools and clinical outcomes in heart failure

Recent studies have suggested that undernutrition as defined using multidimensional nutritional evaluation tools may affect clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF). The evidence supporting this correlation is unclear. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review to critically appraise the use of multidimensional evaluation tools in the prediction of clinical outcomes in HF. We performed descriptive analyses of all identified articles involving qualitative analyses. We used STATA to conduct meta-analyses when at least three studies that tested the same type of nutritional assessment or screening tools and used the same outcome were identified. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate our positive results. We identified 17 articles with qualitative analyses and 11 with quantitative analysis after comprehensive literature searching and screening. We determined that the prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF (range 16-90 %), particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF (approximate range 75-90 %). Undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools may be significantly associated with hospitalization, length of stay and complications and is particularly strongly associated with high mortality. The meta-analysis revealed that compared with other tools, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores were the strongest predictors of mortality in HF [HR (4.32, 95 % CI 2.30-8.11)]. Our results remained reliable after conducting sensitivity analyses. The prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF, particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF. Moreover, undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools is significantly associated with unfavourable prognoses and high mortality in HF.

The Role of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients with Heart Failure

Evidence indicates that malnutrition very frequently co-occurs with chronic heart failure (HF) and leads to a range of negative consequences. Studies show associations between malnutrition and wound healing disorders, an increased rate of postoperative complications, and mortality. In addition, considering the increasing age of patients with HF, a specific approach to their treatment is required. Guidelines proposed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for treating acute and chronic HF refer to the need to monitor and prevent malnutrition in HF patients. However, the guidelines feature no strict nutritional recommendations for HF patients, who are at high nutritional risk as a group, nor do they offer any such recommendations for the poor nutritional status subgroup, for which high morbidity and mortality rates have been observed. In the context of multidisciplinary healthcare, recommended by the ESC and proven by research to offer multifaceted benefits, nutritional status should be systematically assessed in HF patients. Malnutrition has become a challenge within healthcare systems and day-to-day clinical practice, especially in developed countries, where it affects the course of disease and patients' prognosis.

Joint statement of the European Association for the Study of Obesity and the European Society of Hypertension: obesity and heart failure

Obese individuals are more likely to develop heart failure. Yet, once heart failure is established, the impact of overweight and obesity on prognosis and survival is unclear. The purpose of this joint scientific statement of the European Association for the Study of Obesity and the European Society of Hypertension is to provide an overview on the current scientific literature on obesity and heart failure in terms of prognosis, mechanisms, and clinical management implications. Moreover, the document identifies open questions that ought to be addressed. The need for more tailored weight management recommendations in heart failure will be emphasized and, in line with the emerging evidence, aims to distinguish between primary disease and secondary outcome prevention. In the primary prevention of heart failure, it appears prudent advising obese individuals to lose or achieve a healthy body weight, especially in those with risk factors such as hypertension or type 2 diabetes. However, there is no evidence from clinical trials to guide weight management in overweight or obese patients with established heart failure. Prospective clinical trials are strongly encouraged.

The importance of nutrition in aiding recovery from substance use disorders: A review

BACKGROUND

Nutrition is a prerequisite for health; yet, there is no special nutritional assessment or guidance for drug and alcohol dependent individuals, despite the fact that their food consumption is often very limited, risking malnutrition. Further, the premise is examined that malnutrition may promote drug seeking and impede recovery from substance use disorders (SUD).

METHOD

A narrative review addressed the relationship between substance use disorders and nutrition, including evidence for malnutrition, as well as their impact on metabolism and appetite regulation. The implications of the biopsychology of addiction and appetite for understanding the role of nutrition in SUD were also considered.

RESULTS

The literature overwhelmingly finds that subjects with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD) typically suffer from nutrient deficiencies. These nutrient deficiencies may be complicit in the alcoholic myopathy, osteopenia and osteoporosis, and mood disorders including anxiety and depression, observed in AUD and DUD. These same individuals have also been found to have altered body composition and altered hormonal metabolic regulators. Additionally, brain processes fundamental for survival are stimulated both by food, particularly sweet foods, and by substances of abuse, with evidence supporting confusion (addiction transfer) when recovering from SUD between cravings for a substance and craving for food.

CONCLUSION

Poor nutritional status in AUD and DUD severely impacts their physical and psychological health, which may impede their ability to resist substances of abuse and recover their health. This review contributes to a better understanding of interventions that could best support individuals with substance use disorders.

Increased ultrasensitive C-reactive protein is not associated with obesity in hospitalized heart failure patients

Objective:

To evaluate the association between obesity and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with heart failure admitted to a tertiary hospital.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study with a consecutive sampling of hospitalized patients with heart failure. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, and the nutritional status was assessed through indicators such as body mass index (in kg/m²), waist circumference (in cm), waist-hip ratio, triceps skinfold (in mm) and subscapularis skinfold (in mm). Neck circumference (in cm) was measured as well as serum levels of hs-CRP, in mg/L.

Results:

Among 123 patients, the mean age was 61.9±12.3 years and 60.2% were male. The median of hs-CRP was 8.87mg/L (3.34 to 20.01). A tendency to an inverse correlation between neck circumference and hs-CRP was detected (r=-0.167; p=0.069). In the multiple linear regression analysis, after adjustment for age, disease severity (NYHA classification III and IV, low ejection fraction, left ventricular dysfunction during diastole), and infectious conditions there was an inverse association between hs-CRP and neck circumference (ß=-0.196; p=0.03) and subscapularis skinfold (ß=-0.005; p=0.01) in the total sample, which was not maintained after the stratification by sex.

Conclusion:

Increased levels of hs-CRP in patients hospitalized for heart failure were not associated with obesity.

Additional predictive value of nutritional status in the prognostic assessment of heart failure patients

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.

Prognostic Value of the Nutritional Risk Index in Heart Transplant Recipients

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

To study the prognostic impact of preoperative nutritional status, as assessed through the nutritional risk index (NRI), on postoperative outcomes after heart transplantation (HT).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, single-center study of 574 patients who underwent HT from 1991 to 2014. Preoperative NRI was calculated as 1.519 × serum albumin (g/L) + 41.7 × (body weight [kg] / ideal body weight [kg]). The association between preoperative NRI and postoperative outcomes was analyzed by means of multivariable logistic regression and multivariable Cox regression.

RESULTS

Mean NRI before HT was 100.9 ± 9.9. According to this parameter, the prevalence of severe nutritional risk (NRI < 83.5), moderate nutritional risk (83.5 ≤ NRI < 97.5), and mild nutritional risk (97.5 ≤ NRI < 100) was 5%, 22%, and 10%, respectively. One year post-transplant mortality rates in these 4 categories were 18.2%, 25.3%, 7.9% and 10.2% (P < .001), respectively. The NRI was independently associated with a lower risk of postoperative infection (adjusted OR, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.95-1.00; P = .027) and prolonged postoperative ventilator support (adjusted OR, 0.96; 95%CI, 0.94-0.98; P = .001). Patients at moderate or severe nutritional risk had significantly higher 1-year post-HT mortality (adjusted HR, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.22-1.97; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Malnourished patients have a higher risk of postoperative complications and mortality after HT. Preoperative NRI determination may help to identify HT candidates who might benefit from nutritional intervention.

Weight Loss in Obese Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

In heart failure (HF), weight loss (WL) has been associated with an adverse prognosis whereas obesity has been linked to lower mortality (the obesity paradox). The impact of WL in obese patients with HF is incompletely understood. Our objective was to explore the prevalence of WL and its impact on long-term mortality, with an emphasis on obese patients, in a cohort of patients with chronic HF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Weight at first visit and the 1-year follow-up and vital status after 3 years were assessed in 1000 consecutive ambulatory, chronic HF patients (72.7% men; mean age 65.8±12.1 years). Significant WL was defined as a loss of ≥5% weight between baseline and 1 year. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2) (N=272). Of the 1000 patients included, 170 experienced significant WL during the first year of follow-up. Mortality was significantly higher in patients with significant WL (27.6% versus 15.3%, P<0.001). In univariable Cox regression analysis, patients with significant WL had 2-fold higher mortality (hazard ratio 1.95 [95% CI 1.39-2.72], P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, New York Heart Association functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, HF duration, ischemic etiology, diabetes, and treatment, significant WL remained independently associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio 1.89 [95% CI 1.32-2.68], P<0.001). Among obese patients with HF, significant WL was associated with an even more ominous prognosis (adjusted hazard ratio for death of 2.38 [95% CI 1.31-4.32], P=0.004) than that observed in nonobese patients (adjusted hazard ratio 1.83 [95% CI 1.16-2.89], P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Weight loss ≥5% in patients with chronic HF was associated with high long-term mortality, particularly among obese patients with HF.

Malnutrition and associated factors among heart failure patients on follow up at Jimma university specialized hospital, Ethiopia

Background

Malnutrition and cachexia are serious consequences of numerous chronic diseases. Severe heart failure patients could be related with marked weight loss. Malnutrition is associated with poor prognosis among heart failure patients. Despite its implication, factors associated with malnutrition among heart failure patients in Africa and Ethiopia was not addressed. Hence, in this study we tried to determine factors associated with malnutrition among heart failure patients on follow up at Jimma University specialized hospital, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was done on 284 randomly selected heart failure patients. The nutritional status of the patients was assessed based on their serum albumin level (normal value 4–5 mg/dl) and triceps skin fold thickness. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with malnutrition among heart failure patients using SPSS 20.0.

Results

Based on serum albumin and triceps skin fold thickness, 77.8 % of patients were malnourished. Mean age of the patients was 48.3 ± 15.9 years. The commonest cause of heart failure was ischemic heart disease (34.9 %). Hypertension (36 %) was the commonest co morbid disease. Forty four percent of patients had New York heart association functional class II heart failure. Serum hemoglobin (AOR = 0.77, 95 % CI: 0.67–0.92) was found to be significantly associated with nutritional status of heart failure patients. As serum hemoglobin increases by 1gm/dl, the risk of malnutrition decreased by 15 % (P value = 0.03).

Conclusions

The majority of patients were malnourished. A higher hemoglobin concentration was associated with reduced odds of being malnourished.

[Prevalence and prognostic meaning of comorbidity in heart failure]

Heart failure (HF) predominantly affects elderly individuals and has a significant impact on the health systems of developed countries. Comorbidities are present in most patients with HF by acting as the cause, the consequence or a mere coincidence. In addition to their high prevalence, they have considerable relevance because they can mask symptoms, impede the diagnosis and treatment, contribute to progression and negatively influence the prognosis of HF. Most of the associated comorbidities result in a greater number of hospitalisations, poorer quality of life and increased mortality. Given that many of these comorbidities are underdiagnosed, their detection could improve the outcome and quality of life of patients with HF. This article reviews the prevalence and prognostic meaning of the most prevalent comorbidities associated with HF.

Nutritional Risk Index predicts mortality in hospitalized advanced heart failure patients

BACKGROUND

Hospitalized advanced heart failure (HF) patients are at high risk for malnutrition and death. The Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) is a simple, well-validated tool for identifying patients at risk for nutrition-related complications. We hypothesized that, in advanced HF patients from the ESCAPE (Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness) trial, the NRI would improve risk discrimination for 6-month all-cause mortality.

METHODS

We analyzed the 160 ESCAPE index admission survivors with complete follow-up and NRI data, calculated as follows: NRI = (1.519 × discharge serum albumin [in g/dl]) + (41.7 × discharge weight [in kg] / ideal body weight [in kg]); as in previous studies, if discharge weight is greater than ideal body weight (IBW), this ratio was set to 1. The previously developed ESCAPE mortality model includes: age; 6-minute walk distance; cardiopulmonary resuscitation/mechanical ventilation; discharge β-blocker prescription and diuretic dose; and discharge serum sodium, blood urea nitrogen and brain natriuretic peptide levels. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling for the outcome of 6-month all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Thirty of 160 patients died within 6 months of hospital discharge. The median NRI was 96 (IQR 91 to 102), reflecting mild-to-moderate nutritional risk. The NRI independently predicted 6-month mortality, with adjusted HR 0.60 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.93, p = 0.02) per 10 units, and increased Harrell's c-index from 0.74 to 0.76 when added to the ESCAPE model. Body mass index and NRI at hospital admission did not predict 6-month mortality. The discharge NRI was most helpful in patients with high (≥ 20%) predicted mortality by the ESCAPE model, where observed 6-month mortality was 38% in patients with NRI < 100 and 14% in those with NRI > 100 (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The NRI is a simple tool that can improve mortality risk stratification at hospital discharge in hospitalized patients with advanced HF.

Ten-year all-cause mortality in hospitalized non-surgical patients based on nutritional status screening

OBJECTIVE

Malnutrition is common in patients admitted to hospital due to acute illness and contributes to negative patient outcomes. In Slovakia there is a lack of relevant data on malnutrition in hospitalized patients, particularly based on chronic co-morbidity and survival. The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized chronic patients, its relationship to co-morbidity and its impact on 10-year survival.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Nutritional status was estimated by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), BMI and serum albumin level. Survival was assessed from the National Insurance Registry over a 10-year period. The association between nutritional status measured by SGA and 10-year survival controlling for age, gender, BMI and serum albumin was analysed using Cox regression.

SUBJECTS

Data were taken from the medical records of 202 consecutively admitted chronic patients. Results Median age was 63·5 years; 55·4 % were males; median BMI was 25·9 kg/m2; median serum albumin level was 39·0 g/l. Based on SGA evaluation, 38·1 % did not have sufficient nutritional status (SGA classification B and C). Malnutrition was more common in patients who were older (P=0·023), with lower BMI (P<0·001), who had gastrointestinal (P=0·049) and oncologic co-morbidity (P=0·021) and lower albumin level (P=0·049). In-hospital mortality was 3 %, but during the following 10 years 52 % died. Cox regression analysis controlling for age, gender, BMI and serum albumin showed that SGA was an independent predictor of death (hazard ratio=1·55; 95 % CI 1·04, 2·32; P=0·031).

CONCLUSIONS

SGA is a simple screening tool that can be routinely used in hospitalized Slovak medical patients to predict the risk of death. Improving patient nutrition could thus reduce mortality.

The importance of assessing nutritional status in elderly patients with heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome characterized by high morbidity and mortality, despite advances in medical and device therapy that have significantly improved survival. The outcome of HF in elderly patients results from a combination of biological, functional, psychological, and environmental factors, one of which is nutritional status. Malnutrition, as well as HF, is frequently present with aging. Early detection might lead to earlier intervention. It is our goal to review the importance of nutritional status in elderly patients with HF, as well as tools for assessing it. We also propose a simple decision algorithm for the nutritional assessment of elderly patients with HF.

Body mass index, body fat, and nutritional status of patients with heart failure: The PLICA study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Nutritional assessment may help to explain the incompletely understood obesity paradox in patients with heart failure (HF). Currently, obesity is usually identified by body mass index (BMI). Our objective was to assess the prognostic influence of undernourishment in HF outpatients.

METHODS

Two published definitions of undernourishment were used to assess 214 ambulatory HF patients. Definition 1 included albumin, total lymphocyte count, tricipital skinfold (TS), subscapular skinfold, and arm muscle circumference (AMC) measurements (≥2 below normal considered undernourishment). Definition 2 included TS, AMC, and albumin (≥1 below normal considered undernourishment). Patients were also stratified by BMI and body fat percentage and followed for 2 years. All-cause death or HF hospitalization was the primary endpoint.

RESULTS

Based on BMI strata, among underweight patients, 60% and 100% were undernourished by Definitions 1 and 2, respectively (31% and 44% among normal-weight, 4% and 11% among overweight, and 0% and 3% among obese patients, respectively, according to the two definitions). The most prevalent undernourishment type was marasmus-like (18% of the total cohort). Undernourishment by both definitions was significantly associated with lower event-free survival. Following multivariable analysis, age, NYHA functional class, NTproBNP, and undernourishment (hazard ratio [HR] 2.25 [1.11-4.56] and 2.24 [1.19-4.21] for Definitions 1 and 2, respectively) remained in the model. In this cohort, BMI and percentage of body fat did not independently predict 2-year event-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Nutritional status is a key prognostic factor in HF above and beyond BMI and percentage of body fat. Patients in normal BMI range and even in overweight and obese groups showed undernourishment. The high mortality observed in undernourishment, infrequent in high BMI patients, may help to partly explain the obesity paradox. Proper undernourishment assessment should become routine in patients with HF.

Relationship between lipids levels and right ventricular volume overload in congestive heart failure

Background

The relationship between lipids and coronary artery disease has been well established. However, this is not the case between lipids and heart failure. Ironically, high lipid levels are associated with better outcomes in heart failure, but the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon are not fully understood. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that reduced intestinal lipid absorption due to venous congestion may lead to low lipid levels.

Methods

We collected data of clinical characteristics, echocardiograph, and lipid profile in 442 unselected patients with congestive heart failure. Correlations between lipid levels [including total cholesterol (TCL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG)] and right ventricle end diastolic diameter (RVEDD), left ventricle end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), right atrium diameter (RA), left atrium diameter (LA), or left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) were analyzed using Pearson correlation and partial correlation. RVEDD, LVEDD, RA, and LA were indexed to the body surface area.

Results

There was a significantly inverse correlation between TCL levels and RVEDD (r = −0.34, P < 0.001) and RA (r = −0.36, P < 0.001). Other lipids such as LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG had a similar inverse correlation with RVEDD and RA. All these correlations remained unchanged after adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, physical activity levels, comorbidities, and medication use.

Conclusions

Lipid levels were inversely correlated to RVEDD in patients with congestive heart failure; however, because this was an observational study, further investigation is needed to verify our results as well as identify a causal relationship, if any.

Hypoalbuminemia and poor growth predict worse outcomes in pediatric heart transplant recipients

Children with end-stage cardiac failure are at risk of HA and PG. The effects of these factors on post-transplant outcome are not well defined. Using the PHTS database, albumin and growth data from pediatric heart transplant patients from 12/1999 to 12/2009 were analyzed for effect on mortality. Covariables were examined to determine whether HA and PG were risk factors for mortality at listing and transplant. HA patients had higher waitlist mortality (15.81% vs. 10.59%, p = 0.015) with an OR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.09-2.30). Survival was worse for patients with HA at listing and transplant (p ≤ 0.01 and p = 0.026). Infants and patients with congenital heart disease did worse if they were HA at time of transplant (p = 0.020 and p = 0.028). Growth was poor while waiting with PG as risk factor for mortality in multivariate analysis (p = 0.008). HA and PG are risk factors for mortality. Survival was worse in infants and patients with congenital heart disease. PG was a risk factor for mortality in multivariate analysis. These results suggest that an opportunity may exist to improve outcomes for these patients by employing strategies to mitigate these risk factors.

The role of micronutrients and macronutrients in patients hospitalized for heart failure

The detrimental pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) leaves room for physiologic and metabolomic concepts that include supplementation of micronutrients and macronutrients in these patients. Hence myocardial energetics and nutrient metabolism may represent relevant treatment targets in HF. This review focuses on the role of nutritive compounds such as lipids, amino acids, antioxidants, and other trace elements in the setting of HF. Supplementation of ferric carboxymaltose improves iron status, functional capacity, and quality of life in HF patients. To close the current gap in evidence further interventional studies investigating the role of micro- and macronutrients are needed in this setting.

Triceps skinfold as a prognostic predictor in outpatient heart failure

BACKGROUND

Most reports regarding the obesity paradox have focused on body mass index (BMI) to classify obesity and the prognostic values of other indirect measurements of body composition remain poorly examined in heart failure (HF).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between BMI and other indirect, but easily accessible, body composition measurements associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in HF.

METHODS

Anthropometric parameters of body composition were assessed in 344 outpatients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of <50% from a prospective HF cohort that was followed-up for 30 ± 8.2 months. Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.

RESULTS

HF patients were predominantly male, of non-ischemic etiology, and had moderate to severe LV systolic dysfunction (mean LVEF = 32 ± 9%). Triceps skinfold (TSF) was the only anthropometric index that was associated with HF prognosis and had significantly lower values in patients who died (p = 0.047). A TSF > 20 mm was present in 9% of patients that died and 22% of those who survived (p = 0.027). Univariate analysis showed that serum creatinine level, LVEF, and NYHA class were associated with the risk of death, while Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that TSF > 20 was a strong independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.36; 95% confidence interval = 0.13-0.97, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Although BMI is the most widely used anthropometric parameter in clinical practice, our results suggested that TSF is a better predictive marker of mortality in HF outpatients.

Heart surgery stems increased nutritional risk, expressed during the course of stationary rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are a vast global health burden. Despite common prevalence, current knowledge and investigations concerning nutritional aspects are limited. Characteristics and dynamics of nutritional risk are not entirely known for most of the entities, disease stages or treatment-induced fluctuations. This study assessed the effects of heart surgery on unintentional weight loss and nutritional risk using the NRS-2002.

METHODS

A noninterventional study that included patients scheduled for rehabilitation 1-6 months after heart surgery was performed. Evaluation included routine cardiovascular diagnostics and review of medical histories. Documented baseline weight was available for >85% of the patients. Nutritional risk screening was performed with the standardized NRS-2002 questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 145 patients were involved, with a mean age of 65.3 ± 11.5 years in a range of 23-84 years. The male to female ratio was 121:24 (83.4%:16.6%), respectively. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) was performed in 89 patients (61.4%), valvular surgery (VS) in 34 (23.4%) and combined operations (CABG + VS) in 22 (15.2%). Percentage weight loss history was 11.1 ± 3.4% in a range of 0-20.1%, while NRS-2002 was 4.77 ± 1.05 in a range of 1-6. Increased nutritional risk (NRS-2002 ≥3) was found in nearly all patients. Combined ischemic and valvular etiology displayed the highest values of NRS-2002 (5.0 ± 1.2). Patient age and creatinine showed significant correlations with NRS-2002 (Rho = 0.521, p < 0.001 and Rho = 0.335, p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Increased nutritional risk was found to be frequently prevalent in patients scheduled for rehabilitation after heart surgery. Risk was found to be in relation with underlying coronary artery disease as well as with the age of patients and parameters of renal function. Routine application of nutritional risk screening appears to be a valuable clinical tool for detecting this relevant comorbidity, particularly since no connection was found with traditional anthropometrics.

Clinical characteristics and one-year survival in heart failure patients more than 85 years of age compared with younger

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is frequent in elderly patients, but few studies have focused on patients older than 84 years. The aim of this study was to evaluate major comorbidities and 1-year survival in HF patients aged ≥85 years compared with younger age groups.

METHODS

Patients included in a prospective national registry of HF (RICA) were evaluated. Sociodemographic data, Charlson comorbidity index, cognitive status, basal functional status, body mass index, NYHA functional class, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) were recorded. Patients aged ≥85 years were compared with the rest using the Cox regression model to detect independent predictive factors of 1-year survival.

RESULTS

Of the 1172 patients included, 224 (19%) were aged over 84 years-old, mostly women, with hypertensive heart disease (46%, p<0.001) and preserved LVEF (68.7%; p<0.001). Diabetes (p<0.001), dyslipidemia (p=0.03) and obesity (p<0.001) were less prevalent in this group of patients. One-year mortality in the oldest old patients was 26.3%, which was higher than the rest (p<0.001). By multivariable analysis, a higher NYHA functional class (p=0.038), anemia (p=0.037), absence of obesity (p=0.002), and a worse functional status (p=0.049) were related to a worse 1-year survival in the oldest HF patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The oldest old HF patients have differential characteristics with lower prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity and a lower 1-year survival. Independent factors related to a worse 1-year survival in the oldest age group were a higher NYHA class, a worse functional status, presence of anemia and absence of obesity.

Nutritional status of geriatric outpatients with systolic heart failure and its prognostic value regarding death or hospitalization, biomarkers and quality of life

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of malnutrition in ambulatory patients with heart failure is difficult to determine, depending on the timing and methodology.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the nutritional status of outpatients with systolic heart failure with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) full and short-form versions, and evaluate its relationship with the short-term prognosis, biomarkers and quality of life.

METHODS

Fifty consecutive (70% male), geriatric (74.3+ 6.2years old) stable outpatient with heart failure (NYHA class II 68%, III 32%) and left ventricular ejection fraction of 26.7 +11.5% were included and followed during 12 months. At a routine visit to the heart failure clinic, the MNA, the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire (MLHFQ) were applied. According to the MNA screening score the nutritional status was classified using the MNA full (MNA-F) and the short-form (MNA-F) versions of the questionnaire. The recorded events were death and hospitalization.

STATISTICS

The survival and hospitalizations curves were evaluated with the Log-Rank test and Cox Regression analysis. The association between parameters was analyzed with the Pearson and Spearmann correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

(1) The mortality and hospitalization rates were 12% and 42%, respectively. (2) With the MNA-SF 7.6% of the patients had malnutrition and 20% were at risk of malnutrition. There was a good agreement (90%) between the MNA-SF and the MNA-F classifications. (3) There was a significant relationship between the MNA screening score and the MLHFQ (rs= -0.592 p<0.001), Nt-ProBNP (rs= -0.49 p<0.001) and total plasma protein (r= 0.672 p=0.006); (3) The MNA-SF nutritional classification was associated with the 12 months survival (Log-Rank p=0.044) and hospitalization (Log-Rank p=0.005) curves. (4) Those patients with malnutrition by the MNA-SF were at greater risk of death (HR= 8.0 p=0.059) and hospitalization (HR 8.1 p=0.008).

CONCLUSION

The MNA is useful for the evaluation of the nutritional status of elderly outpatients with systolic heart failure. It is a good predictor of the short-term outcome and is also associated with the quality of life and Nt-ProBNP.

The obesity paradox in elderly patients with heart failure: analysis of nutritional status

OBJECTIVE

The obesity paradox refers to the improved survival of obese compared with non-obese elderly or diseased patients for reasons that are not clear. To assess the relative roles of fat and other factors in this improved survival, we analyzed the prognostic value of overweight and obesity elderly patients with heart failure (HF), controlling for other nutritional data such as midarm anthropometrics, serum proteins, and muscle strength.

METHODS

Two hundred forty-four patients (83.2 ± 0.5 y old) hospitalized for HF were included. A nutritional survey was performed in all patients. After discharge, the patients were followed up by telephone.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients (5.7%) died during hospitalization. The median survival was 984 d. Patients with better nutritional status as assessed by the body mass index (BMI), subjective score, midarm muscle area, triceps skinfold thickness, handgrip, lymphocyte count, and serum albumin, prealbumin, and cholesterol levels showed better short- and long-term prognoses. Obese patients with a BMI above 30 kg/m(2) showed a better long-term prognosis than those with a BMI from 25 to 30 kg/m(2), those with a BMI from 20 to 25 kg/m(2), and those with a BMI lower than 20 kg/m(2). However, survival was not significantly related to a triceps skinfold thickness above the 95th percentile. Obese and overweight patients were younger and had better a nutritional status than those with a normal or decreased BMI as shown by the anthropometrics, subjective score, handgrip, lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and serum albumin, prealbumin, and cholesterol levels. All the nutritional data correlated closely with each other. New York Heart Association class also correlated with nutrition-derived data: as the HF class increased, the nutritional status deteriorated. On multivariate analysis, to predict long-term survival, neither BMI nor triceps skinfold thickness showed an independent predictive value, whereas a larger midarm muscle area did.

CONCLUSION

The obesity paradox was confirmed in this series of elderly patients with HF. Those with a high BMI and improved survival had a better nutritional status and New York Heart Association functional class than those with a lower BMI, which may explain the differences in survival.