The GLIM criteria for defining malnutrition can predict physical function and prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease

Weight change and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with hypertension: A primary-care cohort study

Background

Weight control is a cornerstone of hypertension management. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship of weight change to risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with hypertension. We aimed to investigate the association of weight change with the risk of CVD, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) among patients with hypertension.

Methods

We obtained the data from medical records of the Hypertension Health Management Program (HMPH) in Shenzhen, China. The present study included 221 454 individuals with hypertension. Weight change over two years was divided into loss ≥10%, loss 5-10%, stable (-5 ~ 5%), gain 5-10%, and gain >10%. Cox regression analyses were applied to assess the associations of weight change groups with the risk of CVD, stroke, and MI.

Results

Compared with the stable weight group (-5 ~ 5%), those with weight loss ≥10% had a higher risk of CVD (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.40) in the fully adjusted model. Weight gain >10% was significantly associated with a higher risk of CVD (HR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.04-1.31). In the meanwhile, participants with weight loss ≥10% had significantly higher risks of stroke (HR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.02-1.41). However, participants with weight gain >10% had an increased risk of MI (HR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.15-1.82) in the fully adjusted model.

Conclusions

Weight loss or weight gain were associated with higher risks of CVD. Management of patients with hypertension requires close monitoring and appropriate interventions to achieve optimal body weight to prevent adverse outcomes.

Nutritional Assessment in Outpatients with Heart Failure

INTRODUCTION

Heart failure (HF) is associated with significant alterations in body composition, including malnutrition due to insufficient intake, chronic inflammation and increased energy expenditure. Identifying the prevalence of malnutrition and the risk of sarcopenia in patients with HF is crucial to improve clinical outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cross-sectional, single-center, observational study involved 121 outpatients diagnosed with HF. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and the Subjective Global Rating (SGA). Sarcopenia was screened using the SARC-F (Strength, Assistance in walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, Falls) questionnaire and diagnosed based on the European Working Group in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria and functionality with the Short Performance Battery (SPPB) test. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria.

RESULTS

The study found that 10.7% had cardiac cachexia and 45.4% of deceased patients had been in this condition (p = 0.002). Moderate-to-high risk of malnutrition was identified in 37.1%, 23.9%, and 31.4% of patients according to the MNA, MUST, and SGA tests, respectively. According to the GLIM criteria, 56.2% of patients were malnourished. Additionally, 24.8% of patients had a high probability of sarcopenia, and 57.8% were not autonomous according to SPPB. Patients with less than 30% quadriceps muscle contraction were at a high risk of sarcopenia.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high prevalence of malnutrition among outpatients with HF, which is associated with worse prognosis, increased risk of sarcopenia, and greater frailty. These findings underscore the importance of early nutritional and functional assessments in this population to improve clinical outcomes.

GLIM Achieves Best Diagnostic Performance in Non-Cancer Patients with Low BMI: A Hierarchical Bayesian Latent-Class Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) are commonly used nutrition assessment tools, whose performance does not reach a consensus due to different and imperfect reference standards.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of GLIM and PG-SGA, using a hierarchical Bayesian latent class model, in the absence of a gold standard.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to October 2022. Diagnostic test studies comparing (1) the GLIM and/or (2) PG-SGA with "semi-gold" standard assessment tools for malnutrition were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two authors independently extracted data on sensitivity, specificity, and other key characteristics. The methodological quality of each included study was appraised according to the criteria in the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2.

DATA ANALYSIS

A total of 45 studies, comprising 20 876 individuals evaluated for GLIM and 11 575 for PG-SGA, were included. The pooled sensitivity was 0.833 (95% CI 0.744 to 0.896) for GLIM and 0.874 (0.797 to 0.925) for PG-SGA, while the pooled specificity was 0.837 (0.780 to 0.882) for GLIM and 0.778 (0.707 to 0.836) for PG-SGA. GLIM showed slightly better performance than PG-SGA, with a higher diagnostic odds ratio (25.791 vs 24.396). The diagnostic performance of GLIM was most effective in non-cancer patients with an average body mass index (BMI) of <24 kg/m2, followed by non-cancer patients with an average age of ≥60 years. PG-SGA was most powerful in cancer patients with an average age of <60 years, followed by cancer patients with an average BMI of <24 kg/m2.

CONCLUSION

Both GLIM and PG-SGA had moderately high diagnostic capabilities. GLIM was most effective in non-cancer patients with a low BMI, while PG-SGA was more applicable in cancer patients.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022380409.

Performance of anthropometry-based and bio-electrical impedance-based muscle-mass indicators in the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for predicting prognosis in patients with cancer

BACKGROUND

Reduced muscle mass is a criterion for diagnosing malnutrition using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria; however, the choice of muscle-mass indicators within the GLIM criteria remains contentious. This study aimed to establish muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria using data from bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric evaluations and evaluate their ability to predict overall survival (OS), short-term outcomes, and healthcare burden in patients with cancer.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, prospective study that commenced in 2013 and enrolled participants from various clinical centers across China. We constructed GLIM criteria based on various muscle measurements, including fat-free mass index (FFMI), skeletal muscle index (SMI), calf circumference (CC), midarm circumference (MAC), midarm muscle circumference (MAMC), and midarm muscle area (MAMA). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the independent association between the GLIM criteria and OS. The discriminatory performance of different muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria for mortality was evaluated using Harrell's concordance index (C-index). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of the GLIM criteria with short-term outcomes and healthcare burden.

RESULTS

A total of 4769 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 1659 (34.8%) died during the study period. The Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that all muscle-measurement-based GLIM criteria significantly predicted survival in patients with cancer (all p < 0.001). The survival rate of malnourished patients was approximately 10% lower than that of non-malnourished patients. Cox proportional hazards regression showed that all the muscle-measurement-based GLIM could independently predict the OS of patients (all p < 0.001). The prognostic discrimination was as follows: MAMC (Chi-square: 79.61) > MAMA (Chi-square: 79.10) > MAC (Chi-square: 64.09) > FFMI (Chi-square: 62.33) > CC (Chi-square: 58.62) > ASMI (Chi-square: 57.29). In comparison to the FFMI-based GLIM criteria, the ASMI-based criteria (-0.002, 95% CI: -0.006 to 0.002, p = 0.334) and CC-based criteria (-0.003, 95% CI: -0.007 to 0.002, p = 0.227) did not exhibit a significant advantage. However, the MAC-based criteria (0.001, 95% CI: -0.003 to 0.004, p = 0.776), MAMA-based criteria (0.004, 95% CI: 0.000-0.007, p = 0.035), and MAMC-based criteria (0.005, 95% CI: 0.000-0.007, p = 0.030) outperformed the FFMI-based GLIM criteria. Logistic regression showed that muscle measurement-based GLIM criteria predicted short-term outcomes and length of hospital stay in patients with cancer.

CONCLUSION

All muscle measurement-based GLIM criteria can effectively predict OS, short-term outcomes, and healthcare burden in patients with cancer. Anthropometric measurement-based GLIM criteria have potential for clinical application as an alternative to BIA-based measurement.

Association between isolated or combined malnutrition and sarcopenia and quality of life in heart failure outpatients: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition with symptoms linked to worse quality of life. Malnutrition and sarcopenia are conditions frequently found in patients with HF. This study aims to evaluate the association between isolated or combined malnutrition and sarcopenia and quality of life in outpatients with HF.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of outpatients with HF aged ≥18 years. Malnutrition was assessed according to the criteria of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, and sarcopenia was evaluated by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Quality of life was assessed using the Minnesota Living with HF questionnaire (MLHFQ). Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty-one patients were included in this study, with a median (interquartile range) age of 58 (48-65) years, 58.9% were adults, and 68.9% were male. A total of 29.5% of the patients were malnourished, and 28.5% and 2.6% were identified with probable sarcopenia and sarcopenia, respectively. Of the total, 15.9% of patients were identified with both conditions. Sarcopenia was associated with higher odds of increase in the MLHFQ total score, indicating worse quality of life (odds ratio [OR] = 3.61; 95% CI, 1.65-7.89). The same was found in the presence of two conditions (OR 3.97; 95% CI, 1.32-11.54), whereas isolated malnutrition was not related to life quality (OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 0.73-3.60).

CONCLUSION

The presence of malnutrition and sarcopenia simultaneously were associated with worse quality of life scores when compared with these isolated conditions.

Indicators of nutritional status and patient needs in cardiac rehabilitation

Background

The prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular diseases significantly increase with age, and it is well-known that nutritional status affects the prognosis and treatment of these diseases. Therefore, evaluating nutritional status is essential for maintaining/regaining health. It is crucial to identify nutritional risk early, prevent and/or treat protein-energy malnutrition, and promote the modification of inappropriate dietary habits.

Methods

Nutritional screening represents the first step of access to the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) adopted and managed by the dietitian; this tool must be simple, inexpensive, accessible, accurate, efficient, and validated. A globally accepted standardized definition of malnutrition is necessary, and for this reason, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria have been recently introduced.The GLIM criteria, after confirming nutritional risk through screening, include both phenotypic and etiological criteria: to diagnose malnutrition, at least one of these must be present.A less commonly performed phenotypic criterion is the assessment of muscle mass, which should be studied as a significant component of sarcopenia.

Conclusion

Greater attention to the identification and treatment of malnutrition would bring benefits to patients and ensure a saving in healthcare expenditure, but for this purpose, an implementation of clinical nutrition services is necessary.

Effect of multicomponent intervention on malnutrition in older adults: A multicenter randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Malnutrition is a significant geriatric syndrome (GS) prevalent in older adults and seriously affects patient prognosis and quality of life. We assessed the impact of the multicomponent intervention of health education, dietary advice, and exercise with oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) on nutritional status, body composition, physical functions, and quality of life.

METHODS

This multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) was performed from April 2021 to April 2022. The intervention lasted for 12 weeks, and 99 older adults with malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition were enrolled in six nursing homes. All participants were randomly assigned to the control (health education plus standard diet plus exercise) or research (health education plus standard diet plus exercise plus ONS) group. The research group consumed ONS (244 kcal, 9.8g protein, and 9.6g fat per time) twice a day between meals. The primary outcomes were changes in the nutritional status and body composition from baseline to 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes were changes in physical function, quality of life and nutritional associated other blood markers.

RESULTS

For primary outcomes, after 12 weeks, body weight increased similarly in both treatment arms (time × treatment effect, P > 0.05). There were no between-group differences in body mass index (BMI) or mini nutritional assessment tool-short form (MNA-SF) scores (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). The MNA-SF score from 11.0 (10.5, 12.0) to 13.0 (11.0, 13.0) in the research group and from 11.0 (10.0, 12.0) to 12.0 (11.0, 13.0) in the control group (both P < 0.05). There were no between-group differences in the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), fat mass (FAT), or leg muscle mass (LMM) (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Both groups showed similar and highly significant increases in SMI, FFMI, and LMM after (P < 0.05). The research group showed an increase in fat-free mass (FFM) and ASMM and a decrease in the percent of body fat (PBF) and waist circumference (WC) (P < 0.05). For secondary outcomes, There were no between-group differences in grip strength, short physical performance battery (SPPB), 6-min walking distance (6MWD), activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frailty status (FRAIL), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Tinetti, geriatric depression scale-15 (GDS-15), or 12-item short form survey (SF-12) (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Although there was no significant difference, the 6MWD changed differentially between the two treatment arms during the study period in favor of the research group. Although not significant, SF-12 scores improved after 12 weeks in both groups. No between-group differences were observed in prealbumin (PRE), c-reactive protein (CRP), vitamin D (VIT-D), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine (Scr), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), insulin, and adiponectin levels (time × treatment effects, P > 0.05). Insulin and adiponectin levels were significantly higher in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The twelve-week multicomponent intervention improved the nutritional status of older people in China at risk of malnutrition. ONS may enhance the effects of exercise on muscle mass. This clinical trial was registered (https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov). The trial number is ChiCTR2000040343.

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for diagnosis of malnutrition and outcomes prediction in emergency abdominal surgery

OBJECTIVES

Malnutrition has adverse postoperative outcomes, especially in emergency surgery. Among the numerous tools for nutritional assessment, this study aims to investigate malnutrition diagnosed by Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition predictive value for outcomes after emergency abdominal surgery.

METHODS

This was a prospective observational study. Among the 468 patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery admitted to a department of emergency surgery from June 2020 to December 2021, 53 patients were not eligible for enrollment, and 19 patients had missing data. Thus, the final number of participants was 396. Muscle mass was evaluated by skeletal muscle index at the third lumbar vertebra on computed tomography scans, and the lower quartile was defined as the threshold of muscle mass reduction. The associations of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (muscle mass reduction excluded), and skeletal muscle index with in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, and postoperative stay were evaluated using χ2. In addition, confounding factors were screened, regression models were established, and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition predictive value was analyzed for clinical outcome. Ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate department.

RESULTS

Malnutrition was observed in 19.9% of the total 396 patients based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition and in 12.4% on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (muscle mass reduction excluded). Sarcopenia by skeletal muscle index was found in 24.7% of patients. Univariate analysis indicated that in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, infective complication rate, and postoperative hospital stay were significantly higher in malnourished and sarcopenic patients. Multivariate analysis found that malnutrition diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition was predictive for complications, infective complications, and postoperative stay (total postoperative complications: odds ratio = 3.620; 95% CI, 1.635-8.015; P = 0.002; infective complications: odds ratio = 3.127; 95% CI, 1.194-8.192; P = 0.020; and postoperative stay: regression coefficient = 2.622; P = 0.022). The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (muscle mass reduction excluded) identified postoperative complications and postoperative stay (total postoperative complications: odds ratio = 3.364; 95% CI, 1.247-9.075; P = 0.017 and postoperative stay: regression coefficient = 3.547; P = 0.009). Sarcopenia by skeletal muscle index was a risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio = 3.366; 95% CI, 1.587-7.140; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutritison (muscle mass reduction excluded) had predictive value for adverse clinical outcomes due to malnutrition in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery.

The Prognostic Value of Serum Calcium Levels in Elderly Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients

Background

It is unclear whether serum calcium on admission is associated with clinical outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study, we conducted a retrospective study spanning a decade to investigate the prognostic value of baseline calcium in elderly patients with DCM.

Methods

A total of 1,089 consecutive elderly patients (age ≥60 years) diagnosed with DCM were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association of serum calcium with their clinical outcomes.

Results

In this study, the average age of the subjects was 68.36 ± 6.31 years. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum calcium level had a great sensitivity and specificity for predicting in-hospital death, with an AUC of 0.732. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with a serum calcium >8.62 mg/dL had a better prognosis than those with a serum calcium ≤8.62 mg/dL (log-rank χ2 40.84, p < 0.001). After adjusting for several common risk factors, a serum calcium ≤8.62 mg/dL was related to a higher risk of long-term mortality (HR: 1.449; 95% CI: 1.115~1.882; p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Serum calcium level could be served as a simple and affordable tool to evaluate patients' prognosis in DCM.

3D Convolutional Deep Learning for Nonlinear Estimation of Body Composition from Whole-Body Morphology

Total and regional body composition are strongly correlated with metabolic syndrome and have been estimated non-invasively from 3D optical scans using linear parameterizations of body shape and linear regression models. Prior works produced accurate and precise predictions on many, but not all, body composition targets relative to the reference dual X-Ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurement. Here, we report the effects of replacing linear models with nonlinear parameterization and regression models on the precision and accuracy of body composition estimation in a novel application of deep 3D convolutional graph networks to human body composition modeling. We assembled an ensemble dataset of 4286 topologically standardized 3D optical scans from four different human body shape databases, DFAUST, CAESAR, Shape Up! Adults, and Shape Up! Kids and trained a parameterized shape model using a graph convolutional 3D autoencoder (3DAE) in lieu of linear PCA. We trained a nonlinear Gaussian process regression (GPR) on the 3DAE parameter space to predict body composition via correlations to paired DXA reference measurements from the Shape Up! scan subset. We tested our model on a set of 424 randomly withheld test meshes and compared the effects of nonlinear computation against prior linear models. Nonlinear GPR produced up to 20% reduction in prediction error and up to 30% increase in precision over linear regression for both sexes in 10 tested body composition variables. Deep shape features produced 6-8% reduction in prediction error over linear PCA features for males only and a 4-14% reduction in precision error for both sexes. Our best performing nonlinear model predicting body composition from deep features outperformed prior work using linear methods on all tested body composition prediction metrics in both precision and accuracy. All coefficients of determination (R2) for all predicted variables were above 0.86. We show that GPR is a more precise and accurate method for modeling body composition mappings from body shape features than linear regression. Deep 3D features learned by a graph convolutional autoencoder only improved male body composition accuracy but improved precision in both sexes. Our work achieved lower estimation RMSEs than all previous work on 10 metrics of body composition.

GLIM criteria represent a more suitable tool to evaluate the nutritional status and predict postoperative motor functional recovery of older patients with hip fracture: A retrospective study

Early recognition of malnutrition is essential to improve the prognosis of older patients with hip fracture. The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), the Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) are widely used in malnutrition diagnosis. However, criteria for predicting postoperative hip joint motor function in older patients with hip fractures are still necessary. The objective of this study was to select the most appropriate criteria from the NRS-2002, the MNA-SF and the GLIM in predicting the postoperative hip joint motor function recovery 1 year after surgery. This retrospective observational study included 161 patients aged ≥ 65 years with hip fractures. The nutritional status of patients was determined by the NRS-2002, MNA-SF and GLIM. The Harris hip joint score (HHS), the primary outcome of this study, was used to evaluate hip joint motor function. HHS was classified as excellent (HHS > 75) or non-excellent outcomes (HHS ≤ 75). Logistic regression models for hip joint motor function recovery were constructed. Both the receiver operating characteristic curve and the decision curve analysis were used to select the most predictive criteria. The overall mean age of the 161 patients was 77.90 ± 8.17. As a result, NRS-2002 (OR:0.06, 95%CI [0.01, 0.17]), MNA-SF (OR:0.05, 95%CI [0.00, 0.23]) and GLIM (OR of moderate: 0.03, 95%CI [0.01, 0.11]; OR of severe: 0.02 [0.00, 0.07]) were predictive for recovery of hip joint motor function. Additionally, both the area under curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve (NRS-2002: 81.2 [73.8, 88.6], MNA-SF: 76.3 [68.5, 84.2], GLIM: 86.2 [79.6,92.8]) and the decision curve analysis showed the GLIM was better than others. Compared with NRS-2002 and MNA-SF, GLIM was a more suitable nutritional assessment criteria to predict the postoperative recovery of hip joint motor function for older patients with hip fracture 1 year after surgery.

Low serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor may predict poor response to cardiac rehabilitation in patients with cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

It has been shown that serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with skeletal muscle energy metabolism and that BDNF is a predictor of mortality in heart failure patients. However, little is known about the relationship between BDNF and cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Therefore, this study retrospectively investigated the effects of baseline serum BDNF levels on the CR-induced exercise capacity improvement in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODS

We assigned 99 CVD patients (mean age 71±12 years, male = 60) to Low, Middle, and High groups based on the tertiles of baseline BDNF levels. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was done using supervised bicycle ergometer twice before and after 3 weeks of CR. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) followed by post-hoc analysis using Tukey's HSD test was conducted to assess the multivariate associations between baseline BDNF levels categorized by BDNF tertiles (as independent variable) and %increases in AT and peak VO2 after 3-week CR (as dependent variables) after adjustment for age and gender (as covariates), as a main statistical analysis of the present study.

RESULTS

The higher the baseline BDNF levels, the better nutritional status evaluated by the CONUT score (p<0.0001). Baseline anaerobic threshold (AT) and peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) were similar among the three groups. ANCOVA followed by post-hoc analysis revealed that age- and gender-adjusted %increases in peak VO2 after 3-week CR were positively associated with baseline BDNF levels (p = 0.0239) and Low BDNF group showed significantly lower %increase in peak VO2 than High BDNF group (p = 0.0197). Significant association was not found between baseline BDNF and %increase in AT (p = 0.1379).

CONCLUSIONS

Low baseline BDNF levels were associated with malnutrition in CVD patients. A positive association between baseline BDNF levels and CR-induced increases in peak VO2 was found. It was suggested that CVD patients with low baseline BDNF levels may be poor responders to CR.

Cross-sectional assessment of body composition and detection of malnutrition risk in participants with low body mass index and eating disorders using 3D optical surface scans

BACKGROUND

New recommendations for the assessment of malnutrition and sarcopenia include body composition, specifically reduced muscle mass. Three-dimensional optical imaging (3DO) is a validated, accessible, and affordable alternative to dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

OBJECTIVE

Identify strengths and weaknesses of 3DO for identification of malnutrition in participants with low body mass index (BMI) and eating disorders.

DESIGN

Participants were enrolled in the cross-sectional Shape Up! Adults and Kids studies of body shape, metabolic risk, and functional assessment and had BMI of <20 kg/m2 in adults or <85% of median BMI (mBMI) in children and adolescents. A subset was referred for eating disorders evaluation. Anthropometrics, scans, strength testing, and questionnaires were completed in clinical research centers. Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) assessed agreement between 3DO and DXA; multivariate linear regression analysis examined associations between weight history and body composition.

RESULTS

Among 95 participants, mean ± SD BMI was 18.3 ± 1.4 kg/m2 in adult women (N = 56), 19.0 ± 0.6 in men (N = 14), and 84.2% ± 4.1% mBMI in children (N = 25). Concordance was excellent for fat-free mass (FFM, CCC = 0.97) and strong for appendicular lean mass (ALM, CCC = 0.86) and fat mass (FM, CCC = 0.87). By DXA, 80% of adults met the low FFM index criterion for malnutrition, and 44% met low ALM for sarcopenia; 52% of children and adolescents were <-2 z-score for FM. 3DO identified 95% of these cases. In the subset, greater weight loss predicted lower FFM, FM, and ALM by both methods; a greater percentage of weight regained predicted a higher percentage of body fat.

CONCLUSIONS

3DO can accurately estimate body composition in participants with low BMI and identify criteria for malnutrition and sarcopenia. In a subset, 3DO detected changes in body composition expected with weight loss and regain secondary to eating disorders. These findings support the utility of 3DO for body composition assessment in patients with low BMI, including those with eating disorders. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03637855.

Serum albumin and prognosis in elderly patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

AIMS

Hypoalbuminemia was extensively used to diagnose malnutrition in older adults. Malnutrition was associated with mortality in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between hypoalbuminemia and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) remains unknown.

METHODS

A total of 1058 consecutive patients with NIDCM (age ≥60 years) were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of hypoalbuminemia with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Patients with hypoalbuminemia were older (69.29 ± 6.67 vs. 67.61 ± 5.90 years, P  < 0.001) and had higher prevalence of in-hospital and long-term death than those without (6.9 vs. 1.7%, 50.7 vs. 35.2%, P  < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that hypoalbuminemia was significantly related to in-hospital death [odds ratio (OR): 4.334, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.185-8.597, P  < 0.001]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with hypoalbuminemia had worse prognosis than those with nonhypoalbuminemia (log-rank χ2 28.96, P  < 0.001). After adjusting for age, serum creatinine, HDL-C, AST/ALT hypoalbuminemia, LVEF and diabetes, hypoalbuminemia remained an independent predictor for long-term death (hazard ratio 1.322, 95% CI 0.046-1.670, P  = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

Hypoalbuminemia was associated with increased risk of in-hospital and long-term mortality in elderly patients with NIDCM.

Malnutrition accelerates the occurrence of infectious complications in patients with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional survey of 682 patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

To investigate the influencing factors of infectious complications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of CKD.

METHODS

A total of 682 patients with CKD were selected and divided into CKD stage 1-5 subgroups according to their glomerular filtration rate. Infectious complications, length of hospital stay, and total cost of hospitalization were recorded. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) diagnostic tool was used to assess the detection rate of malnutrition among patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in patients with and without infectious complications.

RESULTS

The incidence rates of infectious complications in CKD stages 1-5 were 45.6%, 22.7%, 28.3%, 30.8%, and 40.4%, respectively. The overall detection rate of malnutrition among patients based on the GLIM criteria was 16.7%. The total detection rate of severe malnutrition was 14.2%, with all patients with severe malnutrition in CKD stages 3-5. The incidences of infectious complications in patients with and without malnutrition were 62.3% and 29%, respectively. Binary multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that malnutrition is a risk factor for infectious complications in patients with CKD, who are at 2.41 times higher risk than patients without malnutrition. There were significant differences in length of hospital stay and hospitalization costs between the patients with CKD with and without infectious complications (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Infectious complications are relatively common in patients with CKD. As CKD advances, the incidence of infectious complications increases. Moreover, malnutrition accelerates the occurrence of infectious complications in patients with CKD.

Predictive value of cholinesterase in patients with heart failure: A new blood biochemical marker of undernutrition

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study was conducted to verify whether serum cholinesterase (ChE) is useful in predicting prognosis and discriminating undernutrition status compared to existing low-nutrition indices of blood chemical tests in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 1617 patients (1204 older patients) with HF who evaluated ChE during hospitalization were recruited for this study. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and multivariate survival analysis was performed. We drew a receiver operating characteristic curve for all-cause death, some undernutrition status, such as low body mass index, thin mid-upper arm circumference, low grip strength, and slow gait speed. The area under the curve was used to compare the predictive ability of ChE with some existing nutritional parameters, such as blood biochemical tests, controlling nutritional status (CONUT), and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). After adjusting for 29 variables, higher ChE significantly decreased the risk of all-cause death (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.975, 95% confidence interval: 0.952-0.998), and this trend was maintained for older patients (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.972, 95% confidence interval: 0.947-0.997). ChE was moderately correlated with CONUT and GNRI, but the predictive ability for all-cause death was higher for ChE relative to both scores. ChE tended to have an almost consistently high predictive ability compared with other blood biochemical tests.

CONCLUSIONS

ChE was associated with all-cause death and an almost consistently higher predictive ability for all-cause death and undernutrition status in comparison to existing blood chemical tests and nutritional scores.

Rapid assessment of malnutrition based on GLIM diagnosis in Crohn's disease

Background and aims

Malnutrition is strongly linked to adverse outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). In this study, our objective was to validate the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and develop a fast and accurate diagnostic approach for identifying malnutrition in CD patients.

Methods

This study assessed 177 CD patients from four general hospitals. The efficacy of the GLIM criteria for the diagnosis of CD malnutrition was compared. By analyzing the independent factors, a nomogram model was derived and internally validated to predict the diagnosis of malnutrition in patients with CD. Model performance was assessed using discrimination and calibration, decision curves, and net benefit analyses.

Results

Compared with the SGA criteria, the GLIM criteria was consistent in sensitivity (88.89%) and specificity (78.43%) [AUC = 0.84; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.77-0.89]. The Harvey-Bradshaw index(HBI) score (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.15-2.18), body mass index (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.27-0.64), and mid-upper arm circumference (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47-0.9) were independent factors associated with malnutrition. The nomogram was developed based on these indicators showing good discrimination in malnutrition diagnosis (AUC = 0.953; 95% CI: 0.922-0.984), with agreement after calibration curve and decision curve analysis.

Conclusion

The GLIM criteria are appropriate for diagnosing malnutrition in CD patients. The HBI score may be used to diagnose malnutrition in patients with CD and become a possible selection for the GLIM etiologic criteria of inflammation. The HBM nomogram could be a simple, rapid, and efficient method for diagnosing malnutrition in CD patients.

Prevalence of malnutrition based on global leadership initiative in malnutrition criteria for completeness of diagnosis and future risk of malnutrition based on current malnutrition diagnosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The proposal of the global leadership initiative in malnutrition (GLIM) criteria has received great attention from clinicians. The criteria are mainly used in the research environment and have the potential to be widely used in the clinic in the future. However, the prevalence of malnutrition and risk of future malnutrition based on a current diagnosis of malnutrition are worth exploring.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed from the earliest available date to 1 February 2023. According to the diagnostic criteria of the GLIM, we analysed the prevalence of malnutrition by directly adopting the GLIM criteria for diagnosis without a previous nutritional risk screening (one-step approach) and by adopting the GLIM criteria for diagnosis after a nutritional risk screening (two-step approach). The main outcome was the prevalence of malnutrition based on the one-and two-step approaches. Secondary outcomes were the future risk of malnutrition based on the GLIM diagnosis, including mortality within and beyond 1 year. primary outcomes were pooled using random-effects models, and secondary outcomes are presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

A total of 64 articles were included in the study, including a total of 47,654 adult hospitalized patients and 15,089 malnourished patients based on the GLIM criteria. Malnutrition was diagnosed by the one-step approach in 18 studies and by the two-step approach in 46 studies. The prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by the one-and two-step approaches was 53% (95% CI, 42%-64%) and 39% (95% CI, 0.35%-0.43%), respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by the GLIM criteria after a nutritional risk screening was quite different; the prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) GLIM tool was 35% (95% CI, 29%-40%); however, the prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by the Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA) GLIM tool was 48% (95% CI, 35%-62%). Among the disease types, the prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients was 44% (95% CI, 36%-52%), while that in acute and critically ill patients was 44% (95% CI, 33%-56%). The prevalence in patients in internal medicine wards was 40% (95% CI, 34%-45%), while that in patients in surgical wards was 47% (95% CI, 30%-64%). In addition, the mortality risk within 1 year (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.95-3.52; I² = 77.1%) and beyond 1 year (HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.70-2.45; I² = 59.9%) of patients diagnosed with malnutrition by the GLIM criteria was double that of patients with normal nutrition.

Conclusion

The prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by the GLIM criteria after a nutritional risk screening was significantly lower than the prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed directly by the GLIM criteria. In addition, the mortality risk was significantly greater among malnourished patients assessed by the GLIM criteria.Systematic review registration: identifier CRD42023398454.

Prognostic nutritional index and prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

This review assessed if prognostic nutritional index (PNI) can predict mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase were searched up to 1st November 2022 for all types of studies reporting adjusted associations between PNI and mortality or MACE in CAD patients. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted for PNI as categorical or continuous variable. Subgroup analysis were conducted for multiple confounders.

Results

Fifteen studies with 22,521 patients were included. Meta-analysis found that low PNI was a significant predictor of mortality in CAD patients as compared to those with high PNI (HR: 1.67 95% CI: 1.39, 2.00 I2 = 95% p &lt; 0.00001). Increasing PNI scores were also associated with lower mortality (HR: 0.94 95% CI: 0.91, 0.97 I2 = 89% p = 0.0003). Meta-analysis demonstrated that patients with low PNI had significantly higher incidence of MACE (HR: 1.57 95% CI: 1.08, 2.28 I2 = 94% p = 0.02) and increasing PNI was associated with lower incidence of MACE (HR: 0.84 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92 I2 = 97% p = 0.0007). Subgroup analyses showed mixed results.

Conclusion

Malnutrition assessed by PNI can independently predict mortality and MACE in CAD patients. Variable PNI cut-offs and high inter-study heterogeneity are major limitations while interpreting the results. Further research focusing on specific groups of CAD and taking into account different cut-offs of PNI are needed to provide better evidence.

Systematic Review Registration

No CRD42022365913 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Is There a Need to "Modernize" and "Simplify" the Diagnostic Criteria of Protein-Energy Wasting?

Protein energy wasting(PEW) is a term that most nephrologists used to define nutritional disorders in patients with acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Although this nomenclature is well implemented in the field of nephrology, the use of other terms such as cachexia or malnutritionin the majority of chronic diseases can induce confusion regarding the definition and interpretation of these terms. There is ample evidence in the literature that the pathways involved in cachexia/malnutrition and PEW are common. However, in kidney diseases, there are pathophysiological conditions such as accumulation of uremic toxins, and the use of dialysis, which may induce a phenotypic specificity justifying the original term PEW. In light of the latest epidemiologic studies, the criteria for PEW used in 2008 probably need to be updated. The objective of this review is to summarize the main mechanisms involved in cachexia/malnutrition and PEW. We discuss the need to modernize and simplify the current definition and diagnostic criteria of PEW. We consider the interest of proposing a specific nomenclature of PEW for children and elderly patients with kidney diseases.

GLIM diagnosed malnutrition predicts clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The high prevalence of malnutrition in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has numerous negative consequences on patients' outcome when undergoing anti-neoplastic treatment. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria for diagnosis of malnutrition are currently being verified; however, studies validating GLIM criteria in NSCLC patients are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes and Quality of Life (QoL) in malnourished compared to well-nourished NSCLC patients to determine the predictive validity of GLIM criteria.

METHODS

We collected data on adverse events, survival, and QoL from NSCLC patients undergoing first line anti-neoplastic treatment collected from two prospective trials. Patients were categorized by GLIM criteria as malnourished or well-nourished, based on non-volitional weight loss, low Body Mass Index, reduced muscle mass (Computed Tomography-scans), reduced food intake (24-h recall), and inflammatory condition (modified Glasgow Prognostic Score). Differences in descriptive data, adverse events, survival, and QoL between the malnourished and well-nourished patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

Overall, 120 patients were included in the study. Malnourished patients compared to well-nourished patients had significantly worse outcome in terms of treatment cessation (n = 21 vs 13, p = 0.049), disease progression (n = 20 vs 12, p = 0.034) and shorter overall survival (HR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.4, p = 0.009). Stratifying by severity, moderately malnourished patients had a shorter overall survival compared to well-nourished patients (HR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6, p = 0.007). Malnutrition at baseline was associated with poor QoL by lower physical (p < 0.001) and role functioning (p = 0.011), more symptoms of fatigue (p = 0.001), nausea and vomiting (p = 0.009), pain (p < 0.001), dyspnea (p = 0.032), appetite loss (p < 0.001), and constipation (p = 0.029). No significant differences were found in hospitalization, dose reductions, or treatment postponement.

CONCLUSIONS

Malnutrition defined by GLIM criteria in NSCLC patients was associated with more frequent early cessation of anti-neoplastic treatment, shorter overall survival, and poorer QoL compared to well-nourished patients.

A scoping review on the GLIM criteria for malnutrition diagnosis: Understanding how and for which purpose it has been applied in studies on hospital settings

AIMS

This scoping review aimed to identify and map the literature on malnutrition diagnosis made using the GLIM criteria in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

The scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science (until 16 April 2022) to identify studies based on the 'population' (adults or elderly patients), 'concept' (malnutrition diagnosis by the GLIM criteria), and 'context' (hospital settings) framework. Titles/abstracts were screened, and two independent reviewers extracted data from eligible studies.

RESULTS

Ninety-six studies were eligible (35.4% from China, 30.2% involving oncological patients, and 30.5% with prospective data collection), 32 followed the two-step GLIM approach, and 50 applied all the criteria. All the studies evaluated body mass index (BMI), while 92.7% evaluated weight loss; 77.1%, muscle mass; 93.8%, inflammation; and 70.8%, energy intake. A lack of details on the methods adopted for criterion evaluation was observed in five (muscle mass evaluation) to 40 studies (energy intake evaluation). The frequency of the use of the GLIM criteria ranged from 22.2% (frequency of low BMI) to 84.7% (frequency of inflammation), and the malnutrition prevalence ranged from 0.96% to 87.9%. Less than 30% of studies aimed to assess the GLIM criterion validity, eight studies cited the guidance on validation of the GLIM criteria, and a minority implemented it.

CONCLUSIONS

This map of studies on the GLIM criteria in hospital settings demonstrated that they are applied in a heterogeneous manner, with a wide range of malnutrition prevalence. Almost 50% of the studies applied all the criteria, while one-third followed the straightforward two-step approach. The recommendations of the guidance on validation of the criteria were scarcely adhered to. The gaps that need to be explored in future studies have been highlighted.

HOMEFOOD Randomised Trial - Six-Month Nutrition Therapy in Discharged Older Adults Reduces Hospital Readmissions and Length of Stay at Hospital Up to 18 Months of Follow-Up

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is frequently observed in older adults and is associated with hospital readmissions, length of stay (LOS), and mortality in discharged patients.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of six-month nutrition therapy on hospital readmissions, LOS, mortality and need for long-term care residence 1-, 6-, 12- and 18-months post-discharge in older Icelandic adults.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants (>65 years) were randomised into intervention (n=53) and control (n=53) before discharge from a geriatric unit.

INTERVENTION

The intervention group received nutrition therapy based on the Nutrition Care Process, including home visits, phone calls, freely delivered energy- and protein-rich foods and supplements for six months after hospital discharge.

MEASUREMENTS

The Icelandic electronic hospital registry was accessed to gain information on emergency room visits (ER), hospital readmissions, LOS, mortality and need for long-term care residence.

RESULTS

The intervention group had a lower proportion of participants with at least one readmission compared to control (1 month: 1.9% vs 15.8%, P=0.033; 6 months: 25.0% vs 46.2%, P=0.021; 12 months: 38.5% vs 55.8%, P=0.051; and 18 months: 51.9% vs 65.4%, P=0.107). There was also a lower total number of readmissions per participant (1 month: 0.02 vs 0.19, P=0.015; 6 month: 0.33 vs 0.77, P=0.014; 0.62 vs 1.12, P=0.044) and a shorter LOS (1 month: 0.02 vs 0.92, P=0.013; 6 months: 2.44 vs 13.21; P=0.006; 12 months: 5.83 vs 19.40, P=0.034; 18 months: 10.42 vs 26.00, P=0.033) in the intervention group. However, there were no differences between groups in ER visits, mortality and need for long-term care residence.

CONCLUSION

A six-month nutrition therapy in older Icelandic adults discharged from hospital reduced hospital readmissions and shortens LOS at the hospital up to 18-months post-discharge. However, it did neither affect mortality, ER, nor need of long-term care residence in this group.

Malnutrition diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria predicting survival and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

Recently, some cohorts have looked into the use of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria in cancer patients. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to determine its utility in predicting clinical and survival outcomes for cancer patients.

Method

Searching and screening literature from PubMed, Web of Science and Embase until September 13, 2022 was performed by two researchers independently. According to the exclusion and inclusion criteria, articles reporting the impact of malnutrition diagnosed by GLIM on long-term survival and clinical outcomes were included. Data of interest were also extracted from the included papers. The stability of the pooled results was evaluated using sensitivity analysis. With the aid of subgroup analysis, heterogeneity was revealed. To assess publication bias, Egger's and Begg's tests were conducted. The influence of publication bias on the pooling risk estimate was examined using a trim-and-fill analysis.

Results

15 studies that qualified for our study were identified. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) from both multivariate and univariate regression analysis showed a worse overall survival in GLIM-defined malnourished cancer patients than those in well-nourished status. Meanwhile, disease-free survival was also poorer in malnourished patients. Moreover, pooled odds ratio (OR) demonstrated that malnourished cancer patients were more likely to develop overall postoperative complications, complications ≥ Clavien-Dindo grade IIa and complications ≥ Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa. Two articles reported negative relation between GLIM-defined malnutrition and 30-day readmission/mortality.

Conclusion

GLIM-defined malnutrition possesses value in predicting poorer survival and clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=321094], identifier [CRD42022321094].

Impact of disease burden or inflammation on nutritional assessment by the GLIM criteria in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In 2018, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) released a global standard for evaluating malnutrition. The etiologies of malnutrition in the GLIM criteria includes disease burden/inflammation, but how this view affects nutritional assessment remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of disease burden/inflammation on the proportion of malnourished patients defined by GLIM criteria, and how differences in methods for determining disease burden/inflammation in GLIM criteria affect existing nutritional indices among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also investigated factors associated with malnutrition in RA patients.

METHODS

Data from 135 female RA patients (66.8 ± 12.6 years) were cross-sectionally analyzed. Among the etiologies of malnutrition, disease burden/inflammation was defined as: (1) moderate or higher disease activity score (disease activity score composite of the 28-joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR] ≥ 3.2) [DAS-malnutrition (MN)]; (2) elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥0.5 mg/dL (CRP-MN); and (3) presence of RA (RA-MN). In each of the three conditions, nutritional indicators between well-nourished and malnourished groups were compared by analysis of covariance. Factors associated with malnutrition were analyzed with logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The frequencies of malnutrition as defined by DAS-MN, CRP-MN, and RA-MN were 39%, 30%, and 71%, respectively. When malnutrition was defined by the DAS-MN and/or the CRP-MN, grip strength and serum ceruloplasmin, iron, and zinc levels showed significant differences between the well-nourished and malnourished groups (p < 0.05). The use of targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (ts-/b-DMARD) (OR = 0.29; 95% CI 0.11-0.82), grip strength (OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.75-0.91), subjective reduction in walking speed (OR = 5.24; 1.85-14.86) were significantly associated with malnutrition as determined by DAS-MN.

CONCLUSION

Differences in disease burden/inflammation affect nutritional assessments. The number of malnourished patients with RA was negatively associated with the use of ts-/b-DMARDs and high physical function in women.

Prevalence of Malnutrition Assessed by the GLIM Criteria and Association with Activities of Daily Living in Older Residents in an Integrated Facility for Medical and Long-Term Care

Malnutrition is associated with poor functional outcomes in residents in long-term care facilities. The integrated facility for medical and long-term care (IFMLC) is a new Japanese long-term care facility where medical services can be provided. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and its association with activities of daily living (ADL) in older residents in IFMLC. In this cross-sectional study of older residents, we diagnosed mild and severe malnutrition using the GLIM criteria and assessed ADLs using the Barthel index (BI). Multivariate regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between BI score and GLIM-defined malnutrition. A total of 117 older residents (84 women; median age, 88 years) were analyzed in this study. The prevalence values of mild and severe malnutrition were 29% and 18%, respectively. Multivariate analyses for the BI score after adjusting for potential confounders showed that mild and severe malnutrition were independently associated with BI score (B = −6.113, p < 0.046; B = −8.411, p = 0.015, respectively). GLIM-defined malnutrition is negatively associated with ADLs in older residents in IFMLC.

Effectiveness and Approach of Rehabilitation in Patients With Acute Heart Failure: A Review

Acute heart failure is associated with high mortality and frequent rehospitalization, resulting in enormous healthcare costs and declining physical function, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation has been recommended as one of the non-pharmacologic treatments for patients with heart failure. However, much of the evidence for cardiac rehabilitation interventions reported to date has been limited to chronic heart failure. In recent years, the effectiveness of rehabilitation intervention in patients with acute heart failure has been reported, led by the Rehabilitation Therapy in Older Acute Heart Failure Patients (REHAB-HF) trial. This review overviews the recent evidence of rehabilitation in patients with acute heart failure.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of In-Hospital Complications in Elderly Patients Using GLIM-, SGA-, and ESPEN 2015-Diagnosed Malnutrition as a Factor

Background: Malnutrition is prevalent in elderly inpatients and is associated with various adverse outcomes during their hospital stay, but the diagnosis of malnutrition still lacks widely applicable criteria. This study aimed to investigate the association of malnutrition diagnosed with the SGA, ESPEN 2015, and GLIM criteria, respectively, with in-hospital complications in elderly patients. Method: Hospitalized patients over 65 years old who had been assessed with the SGA guideline for malnutrition at admission were retrospectively recruited from a large observational cohort study conducted in 34 level-A tertiary hospitals in 18 cities in China from June to September 2014. Malnutrition was then retrospectively diagnosed using the GLIM and ESPEN 2015 criteria, respectively, for comparison with the results of the SGA scale. The risk factors for malnutrition were analyzed using logistic regression, and the value of the three diagnostic criteria in predicting the in-hospital complications was subsequently explored using multivariate regression and the random forest machine learning algorithm. Results: A total of 2526 subjects who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were selected from the 7122 patients in the dataset, with an average age of 74.63 ± 7.12 years, 59.2% male, and 94.2% married. According to the GLIM, SGA, and ESPEN 2015 criteria, the detection rates of malnutrition were 37.8% (956 subjects), 32.8% (829 subjects), and 17.0% (429 subjects), respectively. The diagnostic consistency between the GLIM and the SGA criteria is better than that between the ESPEN 2015 and the SGA criteria (Kappa statistics, 0.890 vs. 0.590). Logistic regression showed that the risk of developing complications in the GLIM-defined malnutrition patients is 2.414 times higher than that of normal patients, higher than those of the ESPEN 2015 and SGA criteria (1.786 and 1.745 times, respectively). The random forest classifications show that the GLIM criteria have a higher ability to predict complications in these elderly patients than the SGA and ESPEN 2015 criteria with a mean decrease in accuracy of 12.929, 10.251, and 5.819, respectively, and a mean decrease in Gini of 2.055, 1.817, and 1.614, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed with the GLIM criteria is higher than that of the SGA and the ESPEN 2015 criteria. The GLIM criteria are better than the SGA and the ESPEN 2015 criteria for predicting in-hospital complications in elderly patients.

Prognostic value of malnutrition evaluated using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria and its association with psoas muscle volume in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Heart failure (HF) is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes hypotrophy and skeletal muscle loss. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria have been developed as a novel evaluation index for malnutrition, with reported usefulness in HF caused by ischemic heart disease. However, reports on the usefulness of malnutrition evaluated by the GLIM criteria in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) and its relationship with psoas muscle volume are lacking. We investigated the prognostic value of malnutrition evaluated using the GLIM criteria and its association with psoas muscle volume in patients with NIDCM. We enrolled 139 consecutive patients with NIDCM between December 2000 and June 2020. Malnutrition was evaluated using the GLIM criteria on admission. The median follow-up period was 4.7 years. Cardiac events were defined as a composite of cardiac death, hospitalization for worsening HF, and lethal arrhythmia. Furthermore, we measured the psoas muscle volume using computed tomography volumetry in 48 patients. At baseline, the median age was 50 years, and 132 patients (95.0%) had New York Heart Association functional class I or II HF. The median psoas muscle volume was 460.8 cm³. A total of 26 patients (18.7%) were malnourished according to the GLIM criteria. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that malnourished patients had more cardiac events than non-malnourished patients (log-rank, P < 0.001). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that GLIM criteria-based malnutrition was an independent determinant of cardiac events (hazard ratio, 2.065; 95% confidence interval, 1.166-3.656; P = 0.014). Psoas muscle volume, which was assessed in a total of 48 patients, was lower in malnourished than in non-malnourished patients (median, 369.0 vs. 502.3 cm³; P = 0.035) and correlated with body mass index (r = 0.441; P = 0.002). Nutritional screening using the GLIM criteria may be useful in predicting future cardiac events in patients with NIDCM, reflecting a potential relationship between malnutrition and a low psoas muscle volume.

A Comparative Study of Three Nutritional Risk/Screening Indices for Predicting Cardiac Events and Physical Functioning Among Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Undernutrition is very common among patients with heart failure (HF). This study evaluated the prognostic values of three nutritional risk/screening indices among patients with acute HF. We retrospectively calculated scores for 465 patients with acute HF using the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) tool, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF). The outcomes of interest were the 1-year rate of cardiac events (cardiac-related death or HF-related readmission) and the Barthel index as an index of physical function during hospitalization. The CONUT, GNRI, and MNA-SF scores were significantly correlated, although the proportions of a normal nutritional state varied (CONUT: 18.3%, GNRI: 32.9%, and MNA-SF: 43.9%). Kaplan-Meier estimates revealed that cardiac events were more common among patients with undernutrition based on the CONUT score, and multivariable regression analysis revealed that only the CONUT score independently predicted poor outcomes. Furthermore, changes in the Barthel index during hospitalization were significantly correlated with the CONUT score but not with the GNRI and MNA-SF scores. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the CONUT score had the most powerful predictive values on both the postdischarge incidence of cardiac events and the decline of physical function during hospitalization compared with the GNRI and the MNA-SF. These results indicate that the CONUT score might provide useful information for predicting poor outcomes in patients with acute HF.

Recommendations for nutritional assessment across clinical practice guidelines: A scoping review

BACKGROUND & AIMS

CPGs propose several methods and criteria to perform nutritional assessment, a key process to determine the type and severity of malnutrition, which generates variability in clinical practice and outcomes. The aim of the study was to describe the criteria considered by clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for nutritional assessment.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review systematically searching in PubMed, Trip Database, Google Scholar, and Google, until November 5, 2021. We included all CPGs mentioning tools or criteria for nutritional assessment in adults from the general population or with any specific pathology or condition. Two authors independently reviewed and decided on study selection and data extraction.

RESULTS

We included 18 CPGs (12 elaborated in Europe). The CPGs recommended heterogeneous criteria for nutritional assessment: 16/18 CPGs included at least one body composition parameter (e.g., loss of muscle mass, loss of subcutaneous fat), 15/18 included history related to dietary intake, 15/18 included clinical history (e.g., weight loss), 10/18 included anthropometric measurement (e.g., low body mass index [BMI]), 11/18 included biochemical criteria (e.g., albumin, C-reactive protein), 8/18 included physical examination (e.g., fluid retention, sarcopenia, loss of subcutaneous fat), 8/18 included functional test (e.g., decreased handgrip strength), and 1/18 included catabolic state. Also, 9/18 CPGs mentioned a tool for nutritional assessment, the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) the most common (8/18). None of the CPGs justified the inclusion of any of the tools or criteria they mentioned.

CONCLUSIONS

The CPGs mentioned heterogeneous criteria for nutritional assessment. The most commonly mentioned criteria were decreased food intake, loss of muscle mass, weight loss, and low BMI. The most mentioned tool was the SGA. None of the CPGs provided a clear rationale for using certain criteria or tools for nutritional assessment.

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.

Development and Validation of Cutoff Value for Reduced Muscle Mass for GLIM Criteria in Patients with Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Cancers

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria recommends using race- and sex-adjusted cutoff values for reduced muscle mass (RMM), but the only cutoff values available for Asians are the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) established by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). This retrospective study aimed to develop and validate cutoff values for the fat-free mass index (FFMI) and arm circumference (AC) of Asians, and to investigate the association between GLIM malnutrition and prognosis. A total of 660 patients with primary gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP) cancers who underwent their first resection surgery were recruited and randomly divided into development and validation groups. The FFMI and AC cutoff values were calculated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for the AWGS SMI as the gold standard. The cutoff values for each RMM were used to diagnose malnutrition on the basis of GLIM criteria, and the survival rates were compared. The optimal FFMI cutoff values for RMM were 17 kg/m2 for men and 15 kg/m2 for women, and for AC were 27 cm for men and 25 cm for women. In the validation group, the accuracy of the FFMI and AC cutoff values to discriminate RMM were 85.2% and 68.8%, respectively. Using any of the three measures of RMM, overall survival rates were significantly lower in the GLIM malnutrition group. In conclusion, the cutoff values for the FFMI and AC in this study could discriminate RMM, and GLIM malnutrition using these cutoff values was associated with decreased survival.

Combined prognostic value of malnutrition using GLIM criteria and renal insufficiency in elderly heart failure

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of malnutrition, defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, stratified by renal function in hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this retrospective study, 314 patients who were hospitalized for acute decompensated HF from August 2019 to October 2020 were enrolled. We evaluated malnutrition using the GLIM criteria during the time of admission. The primary outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality. The median patient age was 82 years, and 90-day mortality was 14.0%. In total, 76 (24.2%) patients were malnourished according to the GLIM criteria. Malnutrition defined by the GLIM criteria [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.91, P = 0.036] and renal insufficiency [adjusted HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.07-6.28, P = 0.035 for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 ] were identified as independent predictors of 90-day mortality after adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure, and serum sodium level. In the combined setting of both variables, patients with malnutrition and eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 had a markedly higher risk of 90-day mortality compared with those without malnutrition and eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (adjusted HR 3.92, 95% CI 1.10-13.9, P = 0.035). Adding both eGFR and malnutrition, defined by the GLIM criteria, to the baseline model with established risk factors improved both net reclassification and integrated discrimination greater than that of the baseline model (0.606, P < 0.001 and 0.050, P = 0.002, respectively), even when compared with the model with malnutrition by the GLIM alone (0.463, P = 0.002 and 0.034, P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Nutrition screening using the GLIM criteria stratified by renal function could clearly predict 90-day mortality in hospitalized patients with acute decompensated HF.

Applicability of the GLIM criteria for the diagnosis of malnutrition in older adults in the emergency ward: A pilot validation study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Acutely ill older adults are at higher risk of malnutrition. This study aimed to explore the applicability and accuracy of the GLIM criteria to diagnose malnutrition in acutely ill older adults in the emergency ward (EW).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective secondary analysis, of an ongoing cohort study, in 165 participants over 65 years of age admitted to the EW of a Brazilian university hospital. Nutrition assessment included anthropometry, the Simplified Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). We diagnosed malnutrition using GLIM criteria, defined by the parallel presence of at least one phenotypic [nonvolitional weight loss (WL), low BMI, low muscle mass (MM)] and one etiologic criterion [reduced food intake or assimilation (RFI), disease burden/inflammation]. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Cox and logistic regression for data analyses.

RESULTS

GLIM criteria, following the MNA-SF screening, classified 50.3% of participants as malnourished, 29.1% of them in a severe stage. Validation of the diagnosis using MNA-FF as a reference showed good accuracy (AUC = 0.84), and moderate sensitivity (76%) and specificity (75.1%). All phenotypic criteria combined with RFI showed the best metrics. Malnutrition showed a trend for an increased risk of transference to intensive care unit (OR = 2.08, 95% CI 0.99, 4.35), and severe malnutrition for in-hospital mortality (HR = 4.23, 95% CI 1.2, 14.9).

CONCLUSION

GLIM criteria, following MNA-SF screening, appear to be a feasible approach to diagnose malnutrition in acutely ill older adults in the EW. Nonvolitional WL combined with RFI or acute inflammation were the best components identified and are easily accessible, allowing their potential use in clinical practice.

Usual nutritional scores have acceptable sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing malnutrition compared to GLIM criteria in hemodialysis patients

Diagnosing malnutrition by the recently published Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria requires using modern techniques for body composition measurements. We hypothesized that the prevalence of malnutrition identified by usual nutritional scores and according to GLIM criteria may be close to each other due to the number of components shared between them. Our aim was to compare the concurrent validity of four nutritional scores, malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS), objective score of nutrition on dialysis, geriatric nutritional index (GNRI), and nutritional risk index against the GLIM criteria for malnutrition in maintenance hemodialysis patients. This prospective observational study was performed on 318 maintenance hemodialysis outpatients (37% women) with a mean age of 68.7 ± 13.1 years and a median dialysis vintage of 21 months. According to the GLIM criteria, 45.9% of these patients were diagnosed with malnutrition. Nutritional scores, dietary intake and body composition parameters were measured. All nutritional scores showed a strong association with malnutrition in multivariable logistic regression models. In discriminating the nutritional risk, the ROC AUC was largest for GNRI (0.70, 95% CI: 0.65-0.75; P< .001). Nutritional risk index and MIS showed high specificity but lower sensitivity compared to GNRI and objective score of nutrition on dialysis. Compared to MIS, GNRI had better concurrent validity (higher sensitivity and acceptable specificity) but was inferior to MIS in terms of relation to certain etiologic and phenotypic components of the GLIM criteria (specifically, to dietary intake and decrease in dry weight). In summary, of the nutritional scores tested, GNRI is the most sensitive score in identifying malnutrition diagnosed by GLIM criteria, but MIS is more specific and better in predicting the individual components of the GLIM criteria.

Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria with different muscle assessments including muscle ultrasound with hospitalized internal medicine patients

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to identify cutoff values for muscle ultrasound (US) to be used in Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, and to define the effect of reduced muscle mass assessment on malnutrition prevalence at hospital admission.

METHODS

A total of 118 inpatients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Six different muscles were evaluated by US. Following defining thresholds for muscle US to predict low muscle mass measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, malnutrition was diagnosed by GLIM criteria with seven approaches, including calf circumference, mid-upper arm circumference (MAC), handgrip strength (HGS), skeletal muscle index (SMI), rectus femoris (RF) muscle thickness, and cross-sectional area (CSA) in addition to without using the reduced muscle mass criterion.

RESULTS

The median age of patients was 64 (18-93) years, 55.9% were female. RF muscle thickness had moderate positive correlations with both HGS (r = 0.572) and SMI (r = 0.405). RF CSA had moderate correlation with HGS (r = 0.567) and low correlation with SMI (r = 0.389). The cutoff thresholds were 11.3 mm (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.835) and 17 mm (AUC = 0.737) for RF muscle thickness and 4 cm² (AUC = 0.937) and 7.2 cm² (AUC = 0.755) for RF CSA in females and males, respectively. Without using the reduced muscle mass criterion, malnutrition prevalence was 46.6%; otherwise, it ranged from 47.5% (using MAC) to 65.2% (using HGS).

CONCLUSIONS

Muscle US may be used in GLIM criteria. However, muscle US needs a standard measurement technique and specific cutoff values in future studies.

Good performance of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for diagnosing and classifying malnutrition in people with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the performance of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria for malnutrition assessment in people with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy.

METHODS

A prospective institutional database of 212 patients with esophageal cancer was reviewed for malnutrition assessment using the GLIM criteria. Perioperative metabolic characteristics, postoperative morbidities, and survival outcomes were investigated for GLIM-defined malnutrition. The performance of the two-step approach in implementing the GLIM criteria was evaluated.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-nine patients were identified. The preoperative proportions of moderate and severe malnutrition diagnosed by the GLIM criteria were 45.0% and 30.7%, respectively. Patients with severe malnutrition showed lower levels of serum albumin, prealbumin, and total lymphocyte count on postoperative days 1, 3, and 5 (all Ps < 0.05). Severe malnutrition was not only predictive of overall complications (odds ratio, 8.75; P < 0.001), major complications (odds ratio, 15.6; P < 0.001), and delayed hospital discharge (odds ratio, 7.38; P = 0.001) but was also associated with poor overall and disease-free survival (respectively: hazard ratio, 3.75; P = 0.015; and hazard ratio, 4.18; P = 0.028). Notably, patients with severe malnutrition were more clinically impaired than those with moderate malnutrition. Regarding the two-step approaches, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 simplified malnutrition assessments using the GLIM criteria, and the prognostic nutritional index promoted the clinical significance of the GLIM criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

The GLIM criteria showed good performance in diagnosing and classifying malnutrition in people with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, and prognostic nutritional index could be appropriately used to implement the two-step approach to the GLIM criteria.

Aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio is associated with frailty and mortality in older patients with heart failure

Frailty is a common comorbidity associated with adverse events in patients with heart failure, and early recognition is key to improving its management. We hypothesized that the AST to ALT ratio (AAR) could be a marker of frailty in patients with heart failure. Data from the FRAGILE-HF study were analyzed. A total of 1327 patients aged ≥ 65 years hospitalized with heart failure were categorized into three groups based on their AAR at discharge: low AAR (AAR < 1.16, n = 434); middle AAR (1.16 ≤ AAR < 1.70, n = 487); high AAR (AAR ≥ 1.70, n = 406). The primary endpoint was one-year mortality. The association between AAR and physical function was also assessed. High AAR was associated with lower short physical performance battery and shorter 6-min walk distance, and these associations were independent of age and sex. Logistic regression analysis revealed that high AAR was an independent marker of physical frailty after adjustment for age, sex and body mass index. During follow-up, all-cause death occurred in 161 patients. After adjusting for confounding factors, high AAR was associated with all-cause death (low AAR vs. high AAR, hazard ratio: 1.57, 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.42; P = 0.040). In conclusion, AAR is a marker of frailty and prognostic for all-cause mortality in older patients with heart failure.

Association of Malnutrition, as Defined by the PG-SGA, ESPEN 2015, and GLIM Criteria, With Complications in Esophageal Cancer Patients After Esophagectomy

Background: There are several approaches that can be used for the pre-treatment identification of malnutrition in oncology populations including the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), the 2015 consensus statement by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN 2015) and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM). Aims: This study aimed to evaluate whether malnutrition, as defined by these three methods, can be used to predict complications in esophageal cancer (EC) patients after esophagectomy. Methods: We performed a single center, observational cohort study that included 360 EC patients undergoing esophagectomy from December 2014 to November 2019 at Daping Hospital in China. The prevalence of malnutrition in the study population was prospectively defined using the PG-SGA (≥9 defined malnutrition), and retrospectively defined using the ESPEN 2015 and the GLIM. The prevalence of malnutrition and association with postoperative complications were compared in parallel for the three methods. Results: The prevalence of malnutrition before surgery was 23.1% (83/360), 12.2% (44/360), and 33.3% (120/360) in the study population, as determined by the PG-SGA, the ESPEN 2015 and the GLIM, respectively. The PG-SGA and GLIM had higher diagnostic concordance (Kappa = 0.519, P < 0.001) compared to the ESPEN 2015 vs. GLIM (Kappa = 0.361, P < 0.001) and PG-SGA vs. ESPEN 2015 (Kappa = 0.297, P < 0.001). The overall incidence of postoperative complications for the study population was 58.1% (209/360). GLIM- and ESPEN 2015-defined malnutrition were both associated with the total number of postoperative complications in multivariable analyses. Moreover, GLIM-defined malnutrition exhibited the highest power to identify the incidence of complications among all independent predictors in a pooled analysis. Conclusion: Among the PG-SGA, the ESPEN 2015 and the GLIM, the GLIM framework defines the highest prevalence rate of malnutrition and appears to be the optimal method for predicting postoperative complications in EC patients undergoing esophagectomy. These results support the importance of preoperatively identifying malnutrition using appropriate assessment tools, because it can facilitate the selection of management strategies that will optimize the clinical outcomes of EC patients.

Malnutrition by European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism criteria predicts prognosis in patients with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary-pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) proposed the ESPEN diagnostic criteria (EDC) for malnutrition in 2015. There is no report on the association between the EDC and prognosis in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP) cancer. This study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of EDC malnutrition, (2) investigate the validity of the EDC as a nutritional and prognostic indicator, and (3) examine which components of the EDC are most related to long-term prognosis in patients with GI and HBP cancers.

METHODS

A total of 634 patients with primary GI and HBP cancers who underwent their first resection surgery between July 2014 and March 2018 were retrospectively recruited. According to the EDC, patients were divided into malnourished and non-malnourished groups. Clinical parameters and survival between these two groups were compared. The prognostic effects of the EDC and the EDC components were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of EDC malnutrition was 22%. Anthropometric data and biochemical data were associated with EDC malnutrition. The 5-year survival rate was lower in the malnourished group (72%) than in the non-malnourished group (73%; P = 0.007). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the malnourished group was an independent risk factor for mortality (hazard ratio = 1.70 in the malnourished group; 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.63; P = 0.024). Among EDC components, body mass index (BMI) of <18.5 kg/m² was an independent poor prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

EDC malnutrition is associated with poor postoperative long-term prognosis. Among the EDC components, BMI of <18.5 kg/m² is most associated with prognosis in patients with preoperative GI and HBP cancers.

Predictive Value of the GLIM Criteria in Chinese Community-Dwelling and Institutionalized Older Adults Aged 70 Years and Over

OBJECTIVES

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) has recently published criteria for classifying malnutrition. This study investigated the associations between malnutrition and adverse outcomes, and identified which component(s) of the GLIM criteria is/are risk factor(s) of adverse outcomes in Chinese older adults.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study of Chinese older adults in a healthy ageing study.

SETTING

Participants' place of residence.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling and institutionalized Chinese older adults aged ≥70 years living in Hong Kong.

MEASUREMENTS

Malnutrition at baseline was classified according to selected GLIM criteria. Adverse outcomes including poor self-rated health, functional limitation (Barthel Index), falls, frailty (FRAIL scale), hospitalization and mortality were assessed after a 3-year follow-up. Associations between malnutrition and components of selected GLIM criteria (weight loss, low body mass index (BMI), low muscle mass and disease burden) and each adverse outcome were examined using adjusted binary logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards model. Odds ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) are presented.

RESULTS

Data of 1576 community-dwelling (45.5% female, 78.1±6.5 years) and 427 institutionalized (69.6% female, 85.5±6.4 years) older adults were included at baseline. Among community-dwelling older adults, malnutrition was associated with frailty (n=899, OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.05-5.70) and mortality (n=1007, HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.12-1.66). No association was found for other outcomes. Among institutionalized older adults, malnutrition was not associated with any outcomes. Low BMI and low muscle mass were risk factors of frailty; while weight loss was a risk factor of mortality in community-dwelling older adults. Weight loss and disease burden were risk factors of mortality among institutionalized older adults.

CONCLUSION

The association between malnutrition and frailty and mortality was observed in community but not in institutional settings. Further studies are required to draw more definitive conclusions on the use of GLIM criteria in institutional settings.