Current nutritional status assessment tools for metabolic care and clinical nutrition

Predictive value of the geriatric nutrition risk index for postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery

AIMS

The aims of the study were to determine the relationship between preoperative geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients after cardiac surgery and to evaluate the additive value of GNRI for predicting POD.

METHODS

The data were extracted from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery and were aged 65 or older were included. The relationship between preoperative GNRI and POD was investigated using logistic regression. We determined the added predictive value of preoperative GNRI for POD by measuring the changes in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calculating the net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).

RESULTS

A total of 4286 patients were included in the study, and 659 (16.1%) developed POD. Patients with POD had significantly lower GNRI scores than patients without POD (median 111.1 vs. 113.4, p < 0.001). Malnourished patients (GNRI ≤ 98) had a significantly higher risk of POD (odds ratio, 1.83, 90% CI, 1.42-2.34, p < 0.001) than those without malnutrition (GNRI > 98). This correlation remains after adjusting for confounding variables. The addition of GNRI to the multivariable models slightly but not significantly increases the AUCs (all p > 0.05). Incorporating GNRI increases NRIs in some models and IDIs in all models (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed a negative association between preoperative GNRI and POD in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The addition of GNRI to POD prediction models may improve their predictive accuracy. However, these findings were based on a single-center cohort and will need to be validated in future studies involving multiple centers.

Exploring the Spectrum of VEGF Inhibitors' Toxicities from Systemic to Intra-Vitreal Usage in Medical Practice

The use of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor inhibitors (VEGFi) has become prevalent in the field of medicine, given the high incidence of various pathological conditions necessitating VEGF inhibition within the general population. These conditions encompass a range of advanced neoplasms, such as colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cancer, ovarian cancer, and others, along with ocular diseases. The utilization of VEGFi is not without potential risks and adverse effects, requiring healthcare providers to be well-prepared for identification and management. VEGFi can be broadly categorized into two groups: antibodies or chimeric proteins that specifically target VEGF (bevacizumab, ramucirumab, aflibercept, ranibizumab, and brolucizumab) and non-selective and selective small molecules (sunitinib, sorafenib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, etc.) designed to impede intracellular signaling of the VEGF receptor (RTKi, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors). The presentation and mechanisms of adverse effects resulting from VEGFi depend primarily on this distinction and the route of drug administration (systemic or intra-vitreal). This review provides a thorough examination of the causes, recognition, management, and preventive strategies for VEGFi toxicities with the goal of offering support to oncologists in both clinical practice and the design of clinical trials.

Clusters of Body Fat and Nutritional Parameters are Strongly Associated with Diabetic Kidney Disease in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure in most developed and many developing countries. Strategies aimed at identifying potential modifiable risk factors for DKD are urgently needed. Here, we investigated the association between clusters of body fat and nutritional parameters with DKD in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 184 participants with T2DM. Biochemical parameters including fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, hemoglobin, albumin, creatinine, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were measured. The data for percentage of body fat mass (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), phase angle at 50 kHz (PA50), and body cell mass (BCM) were obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). DKD was diagnosed by UACR and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Factor analysis was used for dimensionality reduction clustering among variables. The association of clusters with the presence of DKD was assessed using binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Factor analysis identified two clusters which were interpreted as a body fat cluster with positive loadings of VFA, body mass index, waist circumstance, and PBF and a nutritional parameters cluster with positive loadings of PA50, hemoglobin, BCM, and albumin. Participants were divided into the four groups based on the sex-specific cutoff value (median) of each cluster score calculated using the cluster weights and the original variable values. Only participants with high body fat and poor nutritional parameters (OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.25-9.42) were associated with increased odds of having DKD.

CONCLUSION

Body fat and nutritional parameters were strongly associated with and considerably contributed to the presence of DKD, suggesting that body fat and nutrition might be promising markers representing metabolic state in pathogenesis of DKD and clinical utility of BIA might provide valuable recommendations to patients with T2DM.

Dyslipidemia and Nutritional Status of HIV-Infected Children and Adolescents on Antiretroviral Treatment at the Comprehensive Chronic Care and Training Center of Jimma Medical Center

Background

Highly active antiretroviral treatment is beneficial to suppress human immune virus replication in infected individuals. However, dyslipidemia and other metabolic abnormalities have emerged due to antiretroviral treatment. The prevalence of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents on antiretroviral treatment varies from 20% to 70%. The lack of data on children and adolescents in Ethiopia was the rationale for conducting this study. We aimed to determine prevalence of dyslipidemia and nutritional status in children and adolescents on follow-up at Jimma medical center.

Materials and Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 children and adolescents on follow-up at Jimma medical center. A systematic sampling technique was employed. An interview was carried out to collect socioeconomic and demographic data and a review of medical records was carried out to collect patients' clinical data. Anthropometric data were computed using the CDC growth chart. About 3-5mL of fasting blood was collected to measure lipid profile. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to find the association between risk factors and lipid profile.

Results

The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in this study was 72%. About 72% and 21.3% of study subjects had low high-density lipoprotein and high triglyceride, respectively. Significant associations were observed between BMI for age ≤5% (AOR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.14-3.66; P=0.015) and low high-density lipoprotein; greater than 150 months on treatment (AOR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03; P=0.01) and high triglyceride; and BMI for age ≤5% (AOR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.03-1.37; P=0.04) and high triglyceride.

Conclusion

BMI for age <5%, treatment duration of greater than 150 months, and parents' educational level were significantly associated with dyslipidemia, so it is recommended that monitoring of those variables will help to reduce dyslipidemia and its complications in children and adolescents receiving treatment.

Prevalence of chronic periodontitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and its correlation with peritoneal dialysis-related complications

OBJECTIVE

The microinflammatory state can influence the occurrence of dialysis-related complications in dialysis patients. Chronic periodontitis (CP), in which plaque biofilm is considered to be the initiating factor, is a chronic infectious disease in the oral cavity. It is still uncertain whether CP affects the microinflammatory state in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the occurrence of dialysis-related complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the periodontal index and clinical parameters in peritoneal dialysis patients with CP and dialysis-related complications, including peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP) and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (CCEs).

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study, and 76 patients undergoing PD were enrolled. Clinical parameters, the occurrence of PD-related complications and periodontitis-related indicators, including the gingival index (GI), plaque index (PLI), probing depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL), were collected. Correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between periodontal or clinical parameters and the occurrence of PD-related complications.

RESULTS

All the patients had different degrees of periodontitis (mild 9.2%, moderate 72.4%, severe 18.4%); PPD was inversely related to serum albumin (r = - 0.235, p = 0.041); CAL has a positive correlation with serum C-reactive protein (rs = 0.242, p = 0.035); PLI was positively correlated with serum calcium (r = 0.314, p = 0.006). ANOVA, multivariate logistic regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier Survival curve suggested that CAL was a risk factor for the occurrence of PDAP. There was no correlation between periodontal parameters and CCEs or poor prognosis.

CONCLUSION

CP is universally present in PD patients, and the presentation of periodontitis influences the systemic inflammatory state in PD patients. CP is a risk factor for PDAP.

Nursing Practice Based on Evidence-Based Concepts to Prevent Enteral Nutrition Complications for Critically Ill Neurosurgical Patients

Purpose

To explore the practical value of enteral nutrition care guided by evidence-based concepts in preventing enteral nutritional complications in critically ill neurosurgical patients.

Methods

Three hundred critically ill patients from March 2020 to October 2021 from our neurosurgery department were included in the study. Patients were divided into a control group (March to December 2020, n = 150) and a study group (January to October 2021, n = 150) according to the order of their admission. The control group received conventional enteral nutrition care, and the study group received enteral nutrition care based on evidence-based concept guidance. The levels of serum nutritional indicators [hemoglobin (Hb), albumin (ALB), and total protein (TP)], feeding compliance rate, the incidence of complications (gastric retention, bloating, diarrhea, reflux, vomiting, aspiration, stress ulcers, etc.), and prognosis during the observation period were compared between the two groups. The scores of the questionnaire of knowledge, attitude, and practice on nutrition among neurosurgical nurses before and after the implementation of evidence-based care were compared among nursing staff in the study group.

Results

At 1 and 2 weeks after enrollment, Hb, ALB, and TP levels were lower in both groups than before enrollment in the same group (P < 0.05). At 2 weeks after enrollment, Hb, ALB, and TP levels were higher in both groups than at 1 week after enrollment in the same group (P < 0.05). At 1 and 2 weeks after enrollment, Hb, ALB, and TP levels were higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05). At 7 days after feeding, the feeding compliance rate was higher in the study group (94.67%) than in the control group (70.00%) (P < 0.05). The total complication rate was lower in the study group (8.00%) than in the control group (16.00%) (P < 0.05). The percentage of good prognosis was higher in the study group (34.00%) than in the control group (23.33%) (P < 0.05). After the implementation of evidence-based care, caregivers in the study group scored higher on nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitudes, and nutrition practices than those before the implementation (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The implementation of evidence-based nursing interventions in critically ill neurosurgical patients based on evidence-based concepts is of great clinical value in correcting their nutritional status, preventing enteral nutritional complications, improving prognosis, and enhancing the nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nursing staff.

Interactions of Comorbidity and Five Simple Environmental Unhealthy Habits Concerning Physical and Mental Quality of Life in the Clinical Setting

The objective of this study was to examine the interactions between comorbidity and five lifestyle single habits concerning different subscales of quality of life (QoL). For the study, 302 patients were consecutively recruited at the internal medicine department of a tertiary teaching hospital. Lifestyle habits, comorbidities and QoL were recorded according to validated questionnaires. Five single unhealthy habits, such as tobacco consumption, dietary intake of ultra-processed pastries, raw nuts or carbonated drinks, sleep time and physical activity patterns were selected according to previously published data. The main outcomes of the study were the scores of the eight subscales of the SF-36 QoL survey. The aggregate of unhealthy habits showed statistically significant association to every category in the SF-36 questionnaire, both in the univariate and the multivariate analysis when adjusting by age, sex and comorbidity. An interaction was found between comorbidity and unhealthy habits in both physical and mental summaries of SF-36. In conclusion, the lifestyle assessment according to five unhealthy habits is associated with a worse QoL. The interaction between comorbidity and unhealthy habits is especially clear in diseased patients due to the interplay between illness and lifestyle in the prediction of QoL.

Comparison of Two Malnutrition Assessment Scales in Predicting Postoperative Complications in Elderly Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between two malnutrition assessment scales, perioperative nutrition screen (PONS) and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002), with postoperative complications in elderly patients after noncardiac surgery.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Elderly patients (65–90 years) undergoing noncardiac surgery were enrolled in Peking University First Hospital. Malnutrition was screened by PONS and NRS2002 at the day before surgery. Multivariable analysis was employed to analyze the relationship between PONS and NRS2002 and postoperative 30-day complications. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate the predictive value of PONS and NRS2002 in predicting postoperative complications.

Results: A total of 915 patients with mean age of 71.6 ± 5.2 years were consecutively enrolled from September 21, 2017, to April 10, 2019. The incidence of malnutrition was 27.3% (250/915) by PONS ≥ 1 and 53.6% (490/915) by NRS2002 ≥ 3. The overall incidence of complications within postoperative 30 days was 45.8% (419/915). After confounders were adjusted, malnutrition by PONS ≥ 1 (OR 2.308, 95% CI 1.676–3.178, P < 0.001), but not NRS2002 ≥ 3 (OR 1.313, 95% CI 0.973–1.771, P = 0.075), was related with an increased risk of postoperative complications. ROC curve analysis showed that the performances of PONS [area under the ROC curve (AUC) 0.595, 95% CI 0.558–0.633] showed very weak improvement in predicting postoperative complications than NRS2002 score (AUC 0.577, 95% CI 0.540–0.614).

Conclusion: The present study found that malnutrition diagnosed by PONS was related with an increased risk of postoperative complications. The performances of PONS and NRS2002 were poor in predicting overall postoperative complications.

Clinical Trial Registration:www.chictr.org.cn, identifier: ChiCTR-OOC-17012734.

Nutritional Assessment in Older Adults : MNA® 25 years of a Screening Tool and a Reference Standard for Care and Research; What Next?

A tool to assess nutritional status in older persons was really needed. It took 5 years to design the MNA® (Mini Nutrition Assessment) tool, complete the first validations studies both in Europe and in the U.S. and to publish it. After the full MNA®, the MNA® short form and the self-MNA® have been validated. As well as Chinese and other national MNA® forms. Now more than 2000 clinical research have used the MNA® all over the world from community care to hospital. At least 22 Expert groups included the MNA® in new clinical practice guidelines, national or international registries. The MNA® is presently included in almost all geriatric and nutrition textbook and part of the teaching program for medicine and other health care professional worldwide. The urgent need is to target the frail older adults more likely to have weight loss and poor appetite and to prevent frailty and weight loss in the robust. We present in this paper the review of 25 years of clinical research and practice using the MNA® worldwide.

Precision Nutrition and Metabolic Syndrome Management

The journal NUTRIENTS published some time ago a special issue about "Precision Nutrition and Metabolic Syndrome Management", which included a series of articles about the role of bioactive compounds, amino acids/proteins and fatty acids for personalized nutritional applications [...].