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

BACKGROUND

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSIONS

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

Predictive Role of Preoperative Nutritional Status on Early Postoperative Outcomes in Different-Aged Patients Undergoing Heart Valve Surgery

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to elucidate the role and predictive effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes across different age groups undergoing heart valve surgery.

DESIGN

A retrospective study with intergroup comparison, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and logistic regression analysis.

SETTING

A hospital affiliated with a medical university.

PARTICIPANTS

Three thousand nine hundred five patients undergoing heart valve surgery between October 2016 and December 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Patients were categorized into 3 age subgroups: young (aged 18-44 years), middle-aged (aged 45-59 years), and older (aged ≥60 years) adults. The Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index, and Controlling Nutritional Status scores were evaluated. Young adults with an NRI <99 experienced a significantly higher rate of prolonged intensive care unit stay (28.3% v 4.1%, p < 0.001), with a relative risk of 4.58 (95% CI: 2.04-10.27). Similarly, young adults with an NRI <97 had a significantly increased occurrence of mortality within 30 days after surgery (6.3% v 0.2%, p < 0.001), with a relative risk of 41.11 (95% CI: 3.19-529.48).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients who undergo heart valve surgery, early postoperative outcomes can be influenced by nutritional status before the surgery. In the young-adult group, NRI <99 and NRI <97 effectively could predict prolonged intensive care unit stay and 30-day mortality, respectively.

The Relationship between Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratios with Nutritional Status, Risk of Nutritional Indices, Prognostic Nutritional Indices and Morbidity in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Background: In recent years, whole blood parameters and derivatives have been used as prognostic criteria in the course of various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parameters such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, nutritional risk index (NRI) and immunonutrition status and disease activity in patients with ischemic stroke of the small-vessel, large-vessel and other etiologies. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the records of 1454 consecutive ischemic stroke patients hospitalized in the emergency department of Gaziosmanpasa Education and Research Hospital from 2019 to 2023. Results: Of the 1350 patients with ischemic stroke included in the study, 58.8% had small-vessel disease, 29.3% had large-vessel disease and 11.9% had other etiologies. There was a significant difference between the three etiology groups for PNI and CONUT. The mean of PNI was 47.30 ± 8.06 in the other etiology group, 37.25 ± 7.23 in the small-vessel group, and 34.78 ± 8.16 in the large-vessel disease group. The mean of CONUT was 5.49 ± 1.20 in the small-vessel group, 5.12 ± 1.46 in the large-vessel group and 4.22 ± 1.11 in the other etiology group. In addition, CONUT and PNI were also found to be independent risk factors for mortality. A negative significant correlation was observed between PNI and NLR (r: -0.692), SII (r: -0.591), and CONUT (r: -0.511). Significant correlations were observed between CONUT and NLR (r: 0.402), SII (r: 0.312). Conclusions: PNI, CONUT and NRI were found as more accurate prognostic indicators of nutritional status in patients with ischemic stroke. NLR and SII may be important predictive markers in the course and prognosis of stroke.

Nutritional risk index predicts the prognosis of gastric cancer patients with pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition

Patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis frequently have poor nutritional status and preoperative parenteral nutrition has been a common treatment strategy. The present study aimed to explore the predictive ability of the nutritional risk index (NRI) regarding the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer and pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition. A total of 194 patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis who received preoperative parenteral nutrition at Tthe Second People's Hospital of Neijiang (Neijiang, China) between January 2016 and December 2021 were included. At the same time, 221 patients with gastric cancer without pyloric stenosis who received surgery during the same period were also collected and the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were compared. The optimal cut-off value of the NRI was determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve and prognostic factors were identified by survival analysis. Finally, a nomogram was constructed to predict the survival probability of patients with gastric cancer. The results indicated that patients with pyloric stenosis exhibited a wide range of unfavorable pathological characteristics and blood parameters. In addition, their overall survival (OS) was significantly worse (P<0.001). Among the patients with pyloric stenosis, there were 120 patients (61.9%) with an NRI <93.42 and 74 patients (38.1%) with NRI ≥93.42. Furthermore, patients with an NRI <93.42 had poorer OS (34.37 months vs. not reached, P=0.004). Of note, age, tumor size, radical resection, NRI and TNM stage were determined to be independent prognostic factors for OS. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.760 (95%CI: 0.688-0.832). In conclusion, the NRI was indicated to be an accurate score reflecting the nutritional status of patients, which was able to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer with pyloric stricture who received preoperative parenteral nutrition. Patients with a low NRI had shorter survival times.

Prognostic Utility of Nutritional Risk Index in Patients with Head and Neck Soft Tissue Sarcoma

BACKGROUND

The nutritional risk index (NRI) is an excellent indicator of nutritional status and a significant prognostic factor in several malignancies, but the relationship between NRI and the prognosis of head and neck soft tissue sarcoma (HNSTS) patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of NRI in patients with HNSTS.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with HNSTS between 1990 and 2021. In order to determine the optimal cut-off value of NRI, the Maximally selected log-rank statistic was performed. We evaluated the effect of NRI on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) by using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Then, OS and PFS nomograms based on NRI were constructed.

RESULTS

In total, 436 HNSTS patients were included in this study. The optimal cut-off value of NRI was 99.34. Patients with low-NRI showed significantly worse OS and PFS than patients with high-NRI, respectively (5-year OS rate of 43.0 vs. 70.8%, 5-year PFS rate of 29.0 vs. 45.0%, all p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, distant metastasis, deep tumor depth, tumor grade, and NRI were prognostic factors for both PFS and OS, and treatment modality was associated with OS but not PFS. The concordance indexes (C-indexes) of OS and PFS nomograms were 0.794 (95% CI, 0.759-0.829) and 0.663 (95% CI, 0.626-0.700), respectively, which also performed well in the validation set.

CONCLUSIONS

NRI is an independent predictor of OS and PFS in HNSTS patients. The validated nomograms based on NRI provide useful predictions of OS and PFS for patients with HNSTS.

Prognostic Value of 3 Nutritional Screening Tools to Predict 30-Day Outcome in Patients Undergoing Carotid Artery Stenting

The effect of malnutrition on outcomes after carotid artery stenting (CAS) is not well known. This study reports the relationship between malnutrition and post-procedure 30-day major adverse events (MAEs). A total of 978 patients hospitalized for CAS were enrolled in the study. Controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, the nutritional risk index (NRI), and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were calculated. MAEs (myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack and mortality) were compared. According to the CONUT score, NRI, and PNI, 9.4%, 41%, and 11.4% patients were moderately or severely malnourished, respectively; 74.8% were at least mildly malnourished by at least 1 score. Forty-seven patients (4.8%) had a post-procedure 30-day MAE. Continuous classifications of the indexes were independently associated with higher MAE. CONUT showed the highest predictive ability, whereas NRI had the lowest (C-index: CONUT, 0.701; NRI, 0.681; PNI, 0.688). According to categorical classification of indexes, only CONUT and PNI showed predictive ability for MAE. Malnutrition assessment could identify patients with CAS at elevated risk for MAE. CONUT, NRI, and PNI continuous scores were independent prognostic factors for the post-procedure 30-day MAE. According to our study, CONUT showed the highest predictive ability.

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

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

The Prognostic Nutritional Index and Nutritional Risk Index Are Associated with Disease Activity in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and nutritional risk index (NRI) have been described as useful screening tools for patient prognosis in several diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between PNI, CONUT and NRI with clinical disease activity and damage in 173 patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Disease activity was assessed with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2K), and disease-related organ damage was assessed using the SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) damage index. PNI and NRI were significantly lower in active SLE patients than in inactive SLE patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively). PNI was inversely correlated with the SLEDAI score (p < 0.001) and NRI positively correlated with SLEDAI and SDI scores (p = 0.027 and p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis adjusting for age, sex and medications showed that PNI was inversely correlated with SLEDAI (β (95% CI) = -0.176 (-0.254, -0.098), p < 0.001) and NRI positively correlated with SLEDAI (β (95% CI) = 0.056 (0.019, 0.093), p = 0.003) and SDI (β (95% CI) = 0.047 (0.031, 0.063), p < 0.001). PNI (odds ratio (OR) 0.884, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.809⁻0.967, p = 0.007) and NRI ((OR) 1.067, 95% CI 1.028⁻1.108, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of active SLE. These findings suggest that PNI and NRI may be useful markers to identify active SLE in clinical practice.

Aging-related prognosis analysis of definitive radiotherapy for very elderly esophageal cancer

Because of the exclusion for the patients more than 75 years (very elderly patients) in many clinical trials of esophageal cancer (EC), there is no consensus on prognosis and treatment for this population. We aim to evaluate the outcomes and aging‐related prognostic factors of definitive radiotherapy (RT) for very elderly EC patients. We retrospectively analyzed 149 very elderly EC patients consecutively treated between January 2015 and June 2016 by definitive intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with or without chemotherapy. The clinical outcome and toxicities were assessed, and the potential prognostic factors, such as nutritional risk index (NRI) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), were analyzed statistically. The median follow‐up time for survivors was 22.5 months. The 2‐year overall survival (OS), local–regional failure‐free survival (LRFFS), and distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) were 51.6%, 54.7%, and 85.2%, respectively. Independent predictors for poorer OS were higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, lower NRI, and higher NLR value before RT. Meanwhile, the total dose (cutoff value 60 Gy) of planning gross tumor volume (PGTV) and chemotherapy was also identified as independent prognostic indicator for LRFFS and DMFS, respectively. 72 patients had treatment failure and 58 (80.6%), 6 (8.3%), and 18 (25.0%) patients had experienced local, regional, and distant failure, respectively. Few severe toxicities were observed. The conservative definitive RT with modern technique was effective for very elderly EC patients in short term with low rate and tolerable toxicities. Local residue or recurrence was the most common failure pattern. The aging‐related prognostic factors concerned nutrition and immune, such as NRI and NLR before RT, should be considered for use in future clinical practice.

Role of nutritional status and intervention in oesophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy: outcomes from SCOPE1

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is common in oesophageal cancer. We aimed to identify nutritional prognostic factors and survival outcomes associated with nutritional intervention in the SCOPE1 (Study of Chemoradiotherapy in OesoPhageal Cancer with or without Erbitux) trial.

METHODS

Two hundred and fifty eight patients were randomly allocated to definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) +/- cetuximab. Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) scores were calculated; NRI<100 identified patients at risk of malnutrition. Nutritional intervention included dietary advice, oral supplementation or major intervention (enteral feeding/tube placement). Univariable and multivariable analyses using Cox proportional hazard modelling were conducted.

RESULTS

At baseline NRI<100 strongly predicted for reduced overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 12.45, 95% CI 5.24-29.57; P<0.001). Nutritional intervention improved survival if provided at baseline (dietary advice (HR 0.12, P=0.004), oral supplementation (HR 0.13, P<0.001) or major intervention (HR 0.13, P=0.003)), but not if provided later in the treatment course. Cetuximab patients receiving major nutritional intervention had worse outcomes compared with controls (13 vs 28 months, P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-treatment assessment and correction of malnutrition may improve survival outcomes in oesophageal cancer patients treated with dCRT. Nutritional Risk Index is a simple and objective screening tool to identify patients at risk of malnutrition.

Factors affecting poor nutritional status after small bowel resection in patients with Crohn disease

In Crohn disease, bowel-preserving surgery is necessary to prevent short bowel syndrome due to repeated operations. This study aimed to determine the remnant small bowel length cut-off and to evaluate the clinical factors related to nutritional status after small bowel resection in Crohn disease.We included 394 patients (69.3% male) who underwent small bowel resection for Crohn disease between 1991 and 2012. Patients who were classified as underweight (body mass index < 17.5) or at high risk of nutrition-related problems (modified nutritional risk index < 83.5) were regarded as having a poor nutritional status. Preliminary remnant small bowel length cut-offs were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Variables associated with poor nutritional status were assessed retrospectively using Student t tests, chi-squared tests, Fisher exact tests, and logistic regression analyses.The mean follow-up period was 52.9 months and the mean patient ages at the time of the last bowel surgery and last follow-up were 31.2 and 35.7 years, respectively. The mean remnant small bowel length was 331.8 cm. Forty-three patients (10.9%) underwent ileostomy, 309 (78.4%) underwent combined small bowel and colon resection, 111 (28.2%) had currently active disease, and 105 (26.6%) underwent at least 2 operations for recurrent disease. The mean body mass index and modified nutritional risk index were 20.6 and 100.8, respectively. The independent factors affecting underweight status were remnant small bowel length ≤240 cm (odds ratio: 4.84, P < 0.001), ileostomy (odds ratio: 4.70, P < 0.001), and currently active disease (odds ratio: 4.16, P < 0.001). The independent factors affecting high nutritional risk were remnant small bowel length ≤230 cm (odds ratio: 2.84, P = 0.012), presence of ileostomy (odds ratio: 3.36, P = 0.025), and currently active disease (odds ratio: 4.90, P < 0.001).Currently active disease, ileostomy, and remnant small bowel length ≤230 cm are risk factors affecting the poor nutritional status of patients with Crohn disease after small bowel resection.

Baseline nutritional status is prognostic factor after definitive radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer

Identify prognostic factors for survival and patterns of treatment failure after definitive radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer. Between 2003 and 2006, 143 patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were retrospectively reviewed. Median age was 65 years (42-81). Median radiation dose was 62.5 Gy (38-72) with 1.8-2 Gy fraction. Median follow-up was 20.8 months (2.8-92.4). Three and 5-year local recurrence-free survival rates were 58.3% and 50.9%. In univariate analysis, traversable esophageal stricture was a prognostic factor. Three, 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rates were 42.4% and 34.9%. In multivariate analysis, traversable esophageal stricture and stage < IIB were independent prognostic factors. Three and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 30.5% and 25.9%. In multivariate analysis, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) ≥ 97.5 and performance status (PS) = 0 were independent prognostic factors. Median, 3, and 5-year overall survival rates were 22.1 months, 34.4%, and 19.8%. In multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors were NRI ≥ 97.5 and PS = 0. Median survival times for the NRI classes (no denutrition, moderate and severe denutrition) were 29.5, 19.7, and 12 months (P = 0.0004), respectively. A major impact of baseline NRI was found in terms of survival; it should be included in future prospective trials.

Nutritional status in patients with ulcerative colitis in Isfahan, Iran

Background:

Malnutrition is common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritional status of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in Isfahan, Iran.

Materials and Methods:

In this descriptive analytical cross-sectional study, between Dec 2011 and Jun 2012, 99 patients with UC were randomly selected and evaluated. Age, sex, duration of disease, body mass index (BMI) and laboratory parameters recorded for all patients. Nutritional risk index (NRI) was calculated and its association with patients’ variables was assessed with regard to UC disease severity.

Results:

Twelve patients out of 99 patients had mild UC and 87 patients had moderate to severe UC. Based on the NRI, 90.9% were not malnourished and 9.1% were at moderate to severe risk for malnutrition. Among laboratory parameters only, serum potassium level in patients with moderate to severe UC was significantly higher than those with mild UC (P = 0.017). Other laboratory parameters were similar between patients stratified by US status. Patients age s significantly correlate with serum vitamin D, immunoglobulin a (IgA) and potassium level (P > 0.05), also duration of disease was significantly correlate with Phosphorus (P = 0.024) among laboratory parameters.

Conclusion:

In studied UC patients, malnutrition risk was based on degree of disease severity. Patients with moderate to severe UC were more at risk for malnutrition compared to the patients with mild UC. Furthermore, among laboratory parameters only serum potassium level was higher among patients with moderate to severe UC compared to others.