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In 2010, the definition of cachexia was jointly developed by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) Special Interest Groups (SIG) "Cachexia-anorexia in chronic wasting diseases" and "Nutrition in geriatrics". Cachexia was considered as a synonym of disease-related malnutrition (DRM) with inflammation by the ESPEN guidelines on definitions and terminology of clinical nutrition. Starting from these concepts and taking into account the available evidence the SIG "Cachexia-anorexia in chronic wasting diseases" conducted several meetings throughout 2020-2022 to discuss the similarities and differences between cachexia and DRM, the role of inflammation in DRM, and how it can be assessed. Moreover, in line with the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) framework, in the future the SIG proposes to develop a prediction score to quantify the individual and combined effect(s) of multiple muscle and fat catabolic mechanisms, reduced food intake or assimilation and inflammation, which variably contribute to the cachectic/malnourished phenotype. This DRM/cachexia risk prediction score could consider the factors related to the direct mechanisms of muscle catabolism separately from those related to the reduction of nutrient intake and assimilation. Novel perspectives in the field of DRM with inflammation and cachexia were identified and described in the report.

Background and aim: The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA(C)) is a globally used malnutrition screening, assessment, triage and monitoring tool. The aim of this study was to perform a linguistic and content validation of the translated and culturally adapted version of the PG-SGA for the Danish setting.Method: The study was conducted according to the International Society of Pharmaeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Principles of Good Practice for the Translational and Cultural Adaptation Process for Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures. Cancer patients (n = 121) and healthcare professionals (HCPs, n = 80) participated in the cognitive debriefing. A questionnaire was used in the cognitive debriefing in which comprehensibility, difficulty, and content validity (relevance) were quantified by a 4-point scale. Item and scale indices were calculated using the average item ratings divided by the number of respondents for content validity (Item-CVI, Scale-CVI), comprehensibility (Item-CI, Scale-CI) and difficulty (Item-DI, Scale-DI). As pre-defined, item indices = 0.90 were defined as excellent and 0.80-0.89 as acceptable.Results: The patient component of the PG-SGA was rated as excellent content validity (Scale-CVI = 0.95) by HCPs and easy to comprehend (Scale-CI = 0.97) and use (Scale-DI = 0.92) by patients. The professional component of the PG-SGA was rated as acceptable content validity (Scale-CVI = 0.80), but below acceptable for comprehension (Scale-CI = 0.71) and difficulty (Scale-DI = 0.69). The physical exam was rated the least comprehensible Item-CI = 0.51-0.70) and most difficult (Item-DI = 0.33-0.063).Conclusion: The PG-SGA was successfully translated and culturally adapted to the Danish setting. Patients found it easy to understand and to complete. Except for the physical exam, HCPs rated the PG-SGA as relevant, comprehensive, and easy to use. Training of HCPs is recommended before implementing the tool into clinical practise. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.

Lipoedema is a painful non-pitting diffuse “fatty” swelling, usually confined to the legs, that occurs mainly in women. This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of the available research on the functioning of people with lipoedema, according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Relevant publications and gray literature were retrieved until October 2022. The results sections of each publication were organized using a thematic framework approach. All included studies reported at least one outcome fitting within the domains of body functions and body structures, with most studies focusing on the categories of “sensation of pain”, “immunological system functions”, and “weight maintenance functions”. The ICF domains of activities and participation and environmental factors were mentioned in a small number of the included studies (17 and 13%, respectively), while the domain of personal factors was studied in half of the included studies. In conclusion, the emphasis of lipoedema research is on its description from a disorder-oriented point of view in the form of body functions and body structures, with a lack of information about the other domains of functioning.

To systematically review literature on nutritional intake, nutritional status and nutritional interventions, and to study their association with short- and long-term clinical outcomes in people with a major dysvascular lower limb amputation. PubMed, Ovid, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were searched. Studies were included if nutritional intake, nutritional status, or nutritional interventions in people with a major dysvascular lower limb amputation were analyzed. Of the 3038 unique papers identified, 30 studies were included. Methodological quality was moderate (1 study) or weak (29 studies). Limited information was available on nutritional intake (2 studies) and nutritional interventions (1 study). Nutritional intake and nutritional status were assessed by diverse methods. The percentage of people with a poor nutritional status ranged from 1% to 100%. In some studies, measures of poor nutritional status were associated with adverse short- and long-term clinical outcomes. The percentage of people with a poor nutritional status is inconclusive in the major dysvascular lower limb amputation population, because of the heterogeneity of the assessment methods used. Some included studies reported a negative association between poor nutritional status and clinical outcomes. However, these results should be interpreted with caution, because of the limited quality of the studies available. Studies high in methodological quality and high in hierarchy of evidence are needed.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe proportion of people with a poor nutritional status in the major dysvascular lower limb amputation population is inconclusive.Poor nutritional status seems to affect clinical outcomes negatively.More uniformity in assessment of malnutrition in the major dysvascular lower limb amputation population is needed. The proportion of people with a poor nutritional status in the major dysvascular lower limb amputation population is inconclusive. Poor nutritional status seems to affect clinical outcomes negatively. More uniformity in assessment of malnutrition in the major dysvascular lower limb amputation population is needed.

Purpose The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA(C)) is a globally recognized and used nutritional screening, assessment, monitoring, and triaging tool. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the original English PG-SGA for the Japanese speaking populations and to assess its linguistic validity (i.e., comprehensibility, difficulty) and content validity, as perceived by Japanese patients and healthcare professionals. Methods In accordance with methodology used in previous Dutch, Thai, German, and Norwegian PG-SGA studies, we followed the ten steps of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Principles of Good Practice for Translation and Cultural Adaptation for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. The study enrolled 50 patients and 50 healthcare professionals (HCPs) to evaluate the comprehensibility and difficulty of the translated and culturally adapted PG-SGA. The HCPs also evaluated the content validity of the translation. We evaluated each item and quantified scale indices for content validity (item content validity index (I-CVI), scale content validity index (S-CVI)), comprehensibility (item comprehensibility index (I-CI), scale comprehensibility index (S-CI)), and difficulty (item difficulty index (I-DI), scale difficulty index (S-DI)). Results Patients evaluated the comprehensibility and difficulty of the patient component as excellent (S-CI = 0.97, S-DI = 0.96). The professionals rated the Japanese version of both components of the PG-SGA as very relevant (S-CVI = 0.94). The professionals evaluated the comprehensibility of the professional component as being acceptable (S-CI = 0.88) but difficult (S-DI = 0.69), based predominantly on items related to physical examination (I-DI = 0.33-0.67). Conclusion The PG-SGA was systematically translated and culturally adapted for the Japanese setting according to the ISPOR process. The Japanese version of the PG-SGA was perceived as comprehensive, easy to use, and relevant. Perceived difficulty in professional components, specifically in the context of metabolic demand and physical examination, will require appropriate training for professionals in order to optimize implementation.

Background Frailty is associated with COVID-19 severity in clinical settings. No general population-based studies on the association between actual frailty status and COVID-19 hospitalization are available. Aims To investigate the association between frailty and the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization once infected. Methods 440 older adults who participated in the Lifelines COVID-19 Cohort study in the Northern Netherlands and reported positive COVID-19 testing results (54.2% women, age 70 ± 4 years in 2021) were included in the analyses. COVID-19 hospitalization status was self-reported. The Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) was derived from 15 self-reported questionnaire items related to daily activities, health problems, and psychosocial functioning, with a score ≥ 4 indicating frailty. Both frailty and COVID-19 hospitalization were assessed in the same period. Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to analyze the associations between frailty and COVID-19 hospitalization. Results Of 440 older adults included, 42 were hospitalized because of COVID-19 infection. After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization was observed for frail individuals (risk ratio (RR) [95% CI] 1.97 [1.06–3.67]) compared to those classified as non-frail. Discussion Frailty was positively associated with COVID-19 hospitalization once infected, independent of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Future research on frailty and COVID-19 should consider biomarkers of aging and frailty to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms and manifestations between frailty and COVID-19 outcomes. Conclusions Frailty was positively associated with the risk of hospitalization among older adults that were infected with COVID-19. Public health strategies for frailty prevention in older adults need to be advocated, as it is helpful to reduce the burden of the healthcare system, particularly during a pandemic like COVID-19.

Introduction The characteristics and impact of mouthfeel, temperature, smell, and taste alterations in patients with COVID-19 at a long term are yet not well known. In this study, these characteristics and their impact on daily life and quality of life (QoL) were assessed, six to ten months after infection, in patients with COVID-19 searching for peer support on Facebook. Methods Between December 2020 and January 2021, members of two COVID-19 Facebook groups were invited to complete a questionnaire. Participants were asked to report their perception of mouthfeel, temperature, smell, and taste alterations and their impact. Results The questionnaire was completed by 157/216 respondents (73%), with 92% being women. Alterations in mouthfeel, temperature, smell, and taste were reported by respectively 66, 40, 148, and 133 participants. The most frequently reported mouthfeel alterations were “a different feeling” and “dry mouth” in 38 and 30 participants, respectively. Preferences for food temperature were equally changed to “freezing”, “cool”, “room temperature”, “a bit warmer”, and “warmer”. An impact on daily life and QoL was reported by most patients with alterations in mouthfeel (91% and 79%), temperature (78% and 60%), smell (98% and 93%), and taste (93% and 88%), respectively. Conclusions Patients with COVID-19 searching for peer support on Facebook experienced, next to smell and taste alterations, mouthfeel and temperature disturbances, six to ten months after infection. These alterations have an impact on daily life and QoL. Implications Health professionals should, next to smell and taste alterations, be aware of mouthfeel and temperature alterations in patients with COVID-19.

Background and aims: Patients with cancer frequently present with disease-related malnutrition and functional decline. The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA (c)) is a malnu-trition screening and assessment tool commonly used in patients with cancer. The aim of the current study was to translate and culturally adapt the original English PG-SGA for the Greek setting, including assessment of comprehensibility, difficulty and content validity in patients and healthcare professionals.Methods: Our study was conducted according to the ten steps of the International Society for Pharma-coeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Principles of Good Practice for Translation and Cultural Adaptation. Comprehensibility and difficulty of the Greek translation were assessed in 100 patients and 100 healthcare professionals (HCPs) from Greece. Content validity of the translation was assessed among HCPs. Item and scale indices were calculated for comprehensibility (I-CI; S-CI), difficulty (I-DI; S-DI), and content validity (I-CVI; S-CVI).Results: Patient perceived comprehensibility and difficulty of the PG-SGA were considered to be excel-lent (S-CI = 0.97, S-DI = 0.97). HCPs perceived content validity for the patient component was also excellent (S-CVI = 0.95). The perceived content validity, comprehensibility and difficulty for the pro-fessional component of the PG-SGA, as perceived by the HCPs, was excellent (S-CVI = 0.94, S-CI = 0.94, S-DI = 0.90), with the physical exam being perceived as most difficult (I-DI = 0.78-0.92).Conclusions: Our study resulted in the successful translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original English PG-SGA for the Greek setting. The Greek language version of the PG-SGA is characterized by high comprehensibility, low difficulty, and is considered relevant for use in Greece. (C) 2021 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Both malnutrition and frailty are associated with adverse treatment outcomes. Malnutrition (risk) and frailty are each commonly present in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). However, their coexistence and association is unknown. Main goal of this study is to determine the coexistence of, and the association between malnutrition risk and frailty in patients with HNC.In this retrospective analysis on prospectively collected data, newly diagnosed patients with HNC, enrolled in the OncoLifeS databiobank were included. The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) was used to assess malnutrition risk. The Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) was used to assess frailty status. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, taking into account several patient- and tumor-related factors.In total, 197 patients were included. Seventy-six patients (39%) had a medium or high malnutrition risk and 71 patients (36%) were frail. In 38 patients (19%), malnutrition risk coexisted with frailty. Patients with medium and high malnutrition risk were, respectively, 4.0 (95% CI 1.5-11.2) and 13.4 (95% CI 4.0-48.7) times more likely to be frail, compared to patients with low malnutrition risk. In turn, frail patients were 6.4 times (95% CI 2.6-14.9) more likely to have malnutrition risk compared to non-frail patients.Malnutrition risk and frailty frequently coexist but not fully overlap in newly diagnosed patients with HNC. Therefore, screening for both conditions is recommended.

Objective: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with high toxicity that adversely affects physical functioning, body composition, fatigue, quality of life and treatment outcomes. Exercise interventions during treatment might counteract these negative effects. We therefore assessed the feasibility of an exercise programme for HNC patients during CRT.Methods: Forty patients were offered a tailored 10-week endurance and resistance training with supervised and home-based sessions. Feasibility endpoints were (1) adherence (main outcome): ≥60% attendance; (2) recruitment: ≥30%; (3) retention rate: ≥85% and (4) compliance rate: ≥60%. Physical performance, muscle strength, body composition, quality of life and fatigue were assessed pre- and post-intervention.Results: Overall adherence was 54%. The recruitment rate was 36%, and the retention rate was 65%. Compliance to the supervised intervention protocol was 66%. Statistically significant decreases were found in mean grip strength, fat-free mass and clinically relevant deteriorations on several domains of quality of life, and fatigue subscales were found.Conclusion: We conclude that this exercise programme for HNC patients during CRT in its current form is feasible for only a minority of patients. We suggest adaptations to improve adherence and retention rates for a definitive multicentre trial.Trial registration: This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR7305), 6 June 2018, retrospectively registered.

Background & aims: Malnutrition has a negative impact on quality of life and survival in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Therefore, malnutrition detection is important in RTR, but this may be hampered by concomitant presence of weight gain and overweight. Recently, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) developed a set of diagnostic criteria for malnutrition. We aimed to assess the prevalence of malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria and the distribution of phenotypic criteria in RTR. Additionally, we examined the potential value of 24-h urinary creatinine excretion rate (CER) as alternative measure for the criterion reduced muscle mass.Methods: We used data from stable outpatient RTR included in the TransplantLines Cohort and Biobank Study (NCT02811835). Presence of weight loss and reduced intake or assimilation were derived from Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) item scores. Reduced muscle mass was assessed by multi-frequency bio-electrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) and defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) < 7 kg/m(2) for men and 5 mg/L. Malnutrition was defined as presence of at least one phenotypic (weight loss and/or low BMI and/or reduced muscle mass) and one etiologic criterion (reduced intake/assimilation and/or disease burden/inflammation).Results: We included 599 RTR (55 +/- 13 years old, 62% male, BMI 27.2 +/- 4.7 kg/m(2)) at a median of 3.1 years after transplantation. According to GLIM criteria, 14% was malnourished, of which 91% met the phenotypic criterion for reduced muscle mass. Similar results were found by using CHI as measure for muscle mass (13% malnutrition of which 79% with reduced muscle mass).Conclusions: Malnutrition is present in one in 7 stable RTR, with reduced muscle mass as the predominant phenotypic criterion. Assessment of nutritional status, most importantly muscle status, is warranted in routine care, to prevent malnutrition in RTR from remaining undetected and untreated. The diagnostic value of 24-h urinary CER in this regard requires further investigation. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Purpose Both malnutrition and frailty are associated with adverse treatment outcomes. Malnutrition (risk) and frailty are each commonly present in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). However, their coexistence and association is unknown. Main goal of this study is to determine the coexistence of, and the association between malnutrition risk and frailty in patients with HNC. Methods In this retrospective analysis on prospectively collected data, newly diagnosed patients with HNC, enrolled in the OncoLifeS databiobank were included. The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) was used to assess malnutrition risk. The Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) was used to assess frailty status. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, taking into account several patient- and tumor-related factors. Results In total, 197 patients were included. Seventy-six patients (39%) had a medium or high malnutrition risk and 71 patients (36%) were frail. In 38 patients (19%), malnutrition risk coexisted with frailty. Patients with medium and high malnutrition risk were, respectively, 4.0 (95% CI 1.5–11.2) and 13.4 (95% CI 4.0–48.7) times more likely to be frail, compared to patients with low malnutrition risk. In turn, frail patients were 6.4 times (95% CI 2.6–14.9) more likely to have malnutrition risk compared to non-frail patients. Conclusions Malnutrition risk and frailty frequently coexist but not fully overlap in newly diagnosed patients with HNC. Therefore, screening for both conditions is recommended.

Background/objectives Traditional malnutrition screening instruments, including the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), strongly rely on low body mass index (BMI) and weight loss. In overweight/obese patients, this may result in underdetection of malnutrition risk. Alternative instruments, like the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF), include characteristics and risk factors irrespective of BMI. Therefore, we aimed to compare performance of MUST and PG-SGA SF in malnutrition risk evaluation in overweight/obese hospitalized patients. Subjects/methods We assessed malnutrition risk using MUST (≥1 = increased risk) and PG-SGA SF (≥4 = increased risk) in adult patients at hospital admission in a university hospital. We compared results for patients with BMI 2 vs. BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. Results Of 430 patients analyzed (58 ± 16 years, 53% male, BMI 26.9 ± 5.5 kg/m2), 35% were overweight and 25% obese. Malnutrition risk was present in 16% according to MUST and 42% according to PG-SGA SF. In patients with BMI 2, MUST identified 31% as at risk vs. 52% by PG-SGA SF. In patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, MUST identified 5% as at risk vs. 36% by PG-SGA SF. Agreement between MUST and PG-SGA SF was low (к = 0.143). Of the overweight/obese patients at risk according to PG-SGA SF, 83/92 (90%) were categorized as low risk by MUST. Conclusions More than one-third of overweight/obese patients is at risk for malnutrition at hospital admission according to PG-SGA SF. Most of them are not identified by MUST. Awareness of BMI-dependency of malnutrition screening instruments and potential underestimation of malnutrition risk in overweight/obese patients by using these instruments is warranted.

Background and aims: Malnutrition screening is a first step in the nutrition care process for hospitalized patients, to identify those at risk of malnutrition and associated worse outcome, preceding further assessment and intervention. Frequently used malnutrition screening tools including the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) mainly screen for characteristics of malnutrition, while the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) additionally includes risk factors for development of malnutrition, yielding a higher percentage of patients at risk. To investigate whether this translates into higher risk of worse outcome, we aimed to determine the predictive validity of MUST and PG-SGA SF for prolonged hospitalization >8 days, readmission, and mortality Methods: In this observational study, MUST was performed according to university hospital protocol. Additional screening using PG-SGA SF was performed within 24 h of hospital admission (high risk: MUST ≥ 2, PG_SGA SF ≥ 9). Associations of MUST and PG-SGA SF with outcomes were analyzed by logistic- and Cox PH-regression.Results: Of 430 patients analyzed (age 58 ± 16 years, 53% male, BMI 26.9 ± 5.5 kg/m2), MUST and PG-SGA SF identified 32 and 80 at high risk, respectively. One-hundred-eight patients had prolonged hospitalization, 109 were readmitted and 20 died. High risk by MUST was associated with mortality (HR = 3.9; 95% CI 1.3–12.2, P = 0.02), but not with other endpoints. High risk by PG-SGA SF was associated with prolonged hospitalization (OR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.3–5.0, P = 0.009), readmission (HR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.1–3.2, P = 0.03), and mortality (HR = 34.8; 95% CI 4.2–289.3, P = 0.001), independent of age, sex, hospital ward and previous hospitalization Conclusions: Whereas high malnutrition risk by MUST was only associated with mortality, PG-SGA SF was associated with higher risk of prolonged hospitalization, readmission, and mortality. In patients considered as low risk by MUST, high malnutrition risk by PG-SGA SF was also predictive of worse outcome. Our findings support the use of PG-SGA SF in routine care to identify patients at risk of malnutrition and worse outcome, and enable proactive interventions.

Twenty years ago, ESPEN published its “Guidelines for nutritional screening 2002”, with the note that these guidelines were based on the evidence available until 2002, and that they needed to be updated and adapted to current state of knowledge in the future. Twenty years have passed, and tremendous progress has been made in the field of malnutrition risk screening. Many screening tools have been developed and validated for different patient groups and different health care settings. Some countries even have introduced mandatory screening for malnutrition at admission to hospital. Yet, changes in society and healthcare require a reflection on current practice and policies regarding malnutrition risk screening. In this opinion paper, we share our perspectives on malnutrition risk screening in the twenty-twenties, addressing the changing and varying profile of the malnourished individual, the goals of screening and screening tools (i.e., preventive or reactive), the construct of malnutrition risk (i.e., screening for risk factors or screening for existing malnutrition), and screening alongside a patient's journey.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between oral health and frailty in community-dwelling Dutch adults aged 55 years and older. Included were 170 participants (n = 95 female [56%]; median age 64 years [IQR: 59–69 years]). Frailty was assessed by the Groningen Frailty Indicator. Oral health was assessed by the Oral Health Impact Profile-14-NL (OHIP-NL14). OHIP-NL14 item scores were analyzed for differences between frail and non-frail participants. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between oral health and presence of frailty. The multivariate analysis included age, gender, and depressive symptoms as co-variables. After adjustment, 1 point increase on the OHIP-NL14 scale was associated with 21% higher odds of being frail (p = 0.000). In addition, significantly more frail participants reported presence of problems on each OHIP-NL14 item, compared to non-frail participants (p < 0.003). Contrast in prevalence of different oral health problems between frail and non-frail was most prominent in ‘younger’ older adults aged 55–64 years. In conclusion: decreased oral health was associated with frailty in older adults aged ≥55 years. Since oral health problems are not included in most frailty assessments, tackling oral health problems may not be sufficiently emphasized in frailty policies.

Restrictive measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause problems in the physical, social, and psychological functioning of older people, resulting in increased frailty. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of frailty, to examine differences in perceived COVID-19-related concerns and threats between frail and non-frail people and to identify variables associated with frailty in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Dutch older people aged ≥ 65 years. We used data from the Lifelines COVID-19 Cohort Study. The Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) was used, with a score ≥ 4 indicating frailty. Frailty was described per domain (i.e., physical, cognitive, social, and psychological). The association between demographic, health and lifestyle variables and frailty was determined with logistic regression analyses. Frailty was present in 13% of the 11,145 participants that completed the GFI. Most items contributing to a positive frailty score were found within the social domain, in the frail (51%) and the non-frail (59%) persons. For items related to concerns and threats, a significantly higher proportion of frail people reported being worried or feeling threatened. In conclusion, during Corona restrictions, prevalence of frailty was considerable in older people from the Northern Netherlands, with one in eight being frail. Frailty was characterized by social problems and frail people were more often worried and felt threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background & aims: Malnutrition, frailty, physical frailty, and disability are common conditions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Insight in the coexistence and relations between these conditions may provide information on the nature of the relationship between malnutrition and frailty. Such information may help to identify required interventions to improve the patient's health status. We therefore aimed to explore whether malnutrition, frailty, physical frailty, and disability coexist in patients with COPD at the start of pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, from March 2015 to May 2017, patients with COPD were assessed at the start of a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Nutritional status was assessed with the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) based Pt-Global app. Frailty was assessed by the Evaluative Frailty Index for Physical activity (EFIP), physical frailty by Fried's criteria, and disability by the Dutch version of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS). These variables were dichotomized to determine coexistence of malnutrition, frailty, physical frailty, and disability. Associations between PG-SGA score and respectively EFIP score, Fried's criteria, and WHODAS score were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Two tailed P-values were used, and significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 57 participants included (age 61.2 ± 8.7 years), malnutrition and frailty coexisted in 40%. Malnutrition and physical frailty coexisted in 18%, and malnutrition and disability in 21%. EFIP score and PG-SGA score were significantly correlated (r = 0.43, P = 0.001), as well as Fried's criteria and PG-SGA score (r = 0.37, P = 0.005). Conclusions: In this population, malnutrition substantially (40%) coexists with frailty. Although the prevalence of each of the four conditions is quite high, the coexistence of all four conditions is limited (11%). The results of our study indicate that nutritional interventions should be delivered by health care professionals across multiple disciplines.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We studied whether low pre-treatment muscle mass, measured with CT at thoracic (T4) or lumbar level (L3) associates with early termination of chemotherapy related to toxicity in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.METHODS: This was a retrospective chart and image review. Adult HNC patients treated with (surgery and) platinum-based chemo-radiotherapy were included if a pre-treatment CT scan at T4 or L3 level was available. Muscle mass was evaluated by assessment of skeletal muscle index (SMI; cm2/m2). T4 and L3 SMI measurements were corrected for deviation from their respective means and were merged into one score for SMI difference (cm2/m2). All cases were assessed for presence of toxicity-related unplanned early termination of chemotherapy ('early termination'). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between pooled SMI and early termination.RESULTS: 213 patients (age: 57.9 ± 10.3 y, male: 77%, T4 image: 45%) were included. A significant association between SMI as a continuous variable and early termination was found, both in the univariate analysis (p = 0.007, OR = 0.96 [0.94-0.99]) and the multivariate analysis (p = 0.021, OR 0.96 [0.92-0.99]). The multivariate models identified potential associations with type of chemotherapy, presence of co-morbidity, a combination of (former) smoking and alcohol consumption, and sex.CONCLUSION: Lower muscle mass was robustly associated with higher odds of early termination of chemotherapy in HNC patients. Further prospective studies are required to tailor the care for patients with low muscle mass and to avoid early termination of chemotherapy.

Malnutrition in cancer is an independent factor associated with negative clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition across different age groups in patients with cancer in Brazil and to identify associations with nutrition impact symptoms (NIS).In this observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study, the authors evaluated 4783 patients with cancer aged ≥20 years who were admitted to 45 public hospitals in Brazil. Nutritional status, nutritional risk, and NIS were evaluated using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment.More than one-fourth (25.5%) of all participants were aged ≥65 years. In patients aged ≥65 years, the prevalence of moderate/suspected and severe malnutrition was 55%, it was 45.4% in those aged 51 to 64 years, and it was 36.1% in those aged ≤50 years. Among the NIS with a higher risk of occurrence in patients aged ≥65 years were no appetite (odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% CI, 1.62-2.22; P .05) and dry mouth (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.1-1.67; P .05). In patients between ages 51 and 64 years, compared with those aged ≤50 years, the NIS with a higher risk of occurrence were no appetite (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23-1.69; P .05), dry mouth (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02-1.45; P .05), and problems with swallowing (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.25-1.96; P .05).The prevalence of malnutrition and the occurrence of NIS are high in hospitalized Brazilian patients aged ≥65 years who have cancer. The occurrence of NIS was higher in the population aged50 years than in those aged ≤50 years. Nutritional screening and assessment should be performed immediately after hospitalization to enable early diagnosis and multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary intervention(s).

Maintaining or increasing physical activity (PA) may prevent loss of muscle mass and strength after completion of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment. However, the exercise level of HNC patients may not meet PA guidelines. We aimed to explore HNC survivors’ views on PA, their report of PA, and to compare these with objectively measured PA. Combined qualitative and quantitative data of HNC survivors were explored post-treatment. Data from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and objective measurements of PA were collected, analyzed, and integrated. This resulted in the identification of five themes related to prioritizing, day-to-day life, intention, positive feelings, and social support, respectively, in nine HNC survivors (male: n = 5; age: 52–67 years). Objectively measured PA levels were sedentary to low. The lack of intention to increase PA may be related to HNC survivors’ perception that their current activity level is sufficient, despite low levels of measured PA. While some participants feel they need no help with PA, others are insecure about possible harms. Healthcare professionals may be able to help improve PA in HNC survivors with a tailored approach that reduces fear of harm and helps to incorporate higher intensity PA in daily activities.

ObjectivesMalnutrition is associated with a twofold higher risk of dying in patients with tuberculosis (TB) and considered an important potentially reversible risk factor for failure of TB treatment. The construct of malnutrition has three domains: intake or uptake of nutrition; body composition and physical and cognitive function. The objectives of this systematic review are to identify malnutrition assessment methods, and to quantify how malnutrition assessment methods capture the international consensus definition for malnutrition, in patients with TB.DesignDifferent assessment methods were identified. We determined the extent of capturing of the three domains of malnutrition, that is, intake or uptake of nutrition, body composition and physical and cognitive function.ResultsSeventeen malnutrition assessment methods were identified in 69 included studies. In 53/69 (77%) of studies, body mass index was used as the only malnutrition assessment method. Three out of 69 studies (4%) used a method that captured all three domains of malnutrition.ConclusionsOur study focused on published articles. Implementation of new criteria takes time, which may take longer than the period covered by this review. Most patients with TB are assessed for only one aspect of the conceptual definition of malnutrition. The use of international consensus criteria is recommended to establish uniform diagnostics and treatment of malnutrition.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019122832.

Objective: Malnutrition screening instruments used in hospitals mainly include criteria to identify characteristics of malnutrition. However, to tackle malnutrition in an early stage, identifying risk factors for malnutrition in addition to characteristics may be valuable.The aim of this study was to determine the predictive validity of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA SF), which addresses malnutrition characteristics and risk factors, and the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), which addresses mainly malnutrition characteristics, for length stay (LOS) in a mixed hospital population.Methods: Patients (N = 443) were screened with the PG-SGA SF and SNAQ in the first 72 h after admission the lung, cardiology, or surgery ward. The McNemar-Bowker test was used to investigate the symmetry between the SNAQ and PG-SGA SF categorization for low, medium, and high risk. The predictive value of the PG-SGA SF and SNAQ was assessed by gamma-regression before and after adjusting for several confounders.Results: Of the 443 patients included, 23% and 58% were categorized as being at medium/high risk for malnutrition according to the SNAQ and PG-SGA SF, respectively. The regression analysis indicated that LOS high-risk patients according to PG-SGA SF was 36% longer than that of low-risk patients (P = 0.001). LOS patients at high risk according to the SNAQ did not significantly differ from that of SNAQ low-risk patients.Conclusions: The PG-SGA SF, as a proactive malnutrition screening instrument, predicts LOS in various hospital wards, whereas the SNAQ, as a reactive instrument, does not. Therefore, we recommend the PG-SGA for proactive screening for malnutrition risk. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) is a frequent clinical problem, characterized by loss of lean body mass and decreased function, including muscle function and immunocompetence. In DRM, nutritional intervention is necessary, but it has not consistently been shown to be sufficient. Other factors, for example, physical activity and hormonal or metabolic influencers of the internal milieu, are also important in the treatment of DRM. A prerequisite for successful treatment of DRM is the positive balance between anabolism and catabolism. The aim of this review was to approach DRM using this paradigm of anabolic competence, for conceptual and practical reasons. Anabolic competence is defined as "that state which optimally supports protein synthesis and lean body mass, global aspects of muscle and organ function, and immune response." Anabolic competence and interdisciplinary, multimodality interventions create a practical foundation to approach DRM in a proactive comprehensive way. Here, we describe the paradigm of anabolic competence, and its operationalization by measuring factors related to anabolic competence and suited for clinical management of patients with DRM. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background We aimed to assess feasibility of self-completion of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) by head and neck cancer patients, and to assess self-reported increased awareness regarding malnutrition risk after self-completion.Methods Participants were randomized to complete the PG-SGA SF by paper or app. Feasibility was assessed by time needed to complete the PG-SGA SF, perceived difficulty, and help needed during completion. Participants were asked if they knew what malnutrition was (yes/no) and if they could define "malnutrition." They were also asked 9 questions on whether they perceived increased awareness of malnutrition risk after having completed the PG-SGA SF and 2 on their intention to change lifestyle habits.Results Of all participants (n = 59; 65.9 +/- 12.6 years; 73% male), 55% completed the PG-SGA SF paper version and 46% the Pt-Global app. Median time needed for self-completion of the PG-SGA SF was 2 minutes 41 seconds (interquartile range: 1 minute 49 seconds-3 minutes 50 seconds). Forty-eight percent needed help with completion, indicating acceptable feasibility. Participants who completed the Pt-Global app needed help significantly more often (66%; 21/32) than those who completed the PG-SGA SF paper version (26%; 7/27) (P = 0.005). All difficulty scores were excellent. For 7/9 questions on malnutrition risk awareness, >50% of the participants answered positively.Conclusion The results of this study show that self-completion of the PG-SGA SF by head and neck cancer patients is feasible and that awareness regarding malnutrition risk may increase after completing the PG-SGA SF.

Purpose: In 2018, the SARCUS working group published a first article on the standardization of the use of ultrasound to assess muscle. Recommendations were made for patient positioning, system settings and components to be measured. Also, shortcomings in knowledge were mentioned. An important issue that still required standardization was the definition of anatomical landmarks for many muscles. Methods: A systematic search was performed in Medline, SCOPUS and Web of Sciences looking for all articles describing the use of ultrasound in the assessment of muscle not described in the first recommendations, published from 01/01/2018 until 31/01/2020. All relevant terms used for older people, ultrasound and muscles were used. Results: For 39 muscles, different approaches for ultrasound assessment were found that likely impact the values measured. Standardized anatomical landmarks and measuring points were proposed for all muscles/muscle groups. Besides the five already known muscle parameters (muscle thickness, cross-section area, pennation angle, fascicle length and echo-intensity), four new parameters are discussed (muscle volume, stiffness, contraction potential and microcirculation). The former SARCUS article recommendations are updated with this new information that includes new muscle groups. Conclusions: The emerging field of ultrasound assessment of muscle mass only highlights the need for a standardization of measurement technique. In this article, guidelines are updated and broadened to provide standardization instructions for a large number of muscles., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Older people are a high-risk group for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of a range of factors, including age-related changes in anatomical pulmonary and muscle function, decreased immunity and increased inflammation. These factors partly explain why older people with COVID-19 experience more severe symptoms and higher mortality than younger adults and are more likely to require nutritional support. Furthermore, there is an association between suboptimal nutritional status and poorer recovery from COVID-19. Therefore, nutritional interventions are an important aspect of care for older people with COVID-19. All members of the multidisciplinary team, including dietitians and nurses, need to assess, treat and prevent nutritional deficiencies in older people with COVID-19. This literature review provides an overview of the evidence regarding the role of nutritional interventions in the treatment of, and recovery from, COVID-19 in older people.

The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGAIn accordance with methodology used in previous Dutch, Thai, German, and Norwegian PG-SGA studies, we followed the ten steps of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Principles of Good Practice for Translation and Cultural Adaptation for Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. The study enrolled 50 patients and 50 healthcare professionals (HCPs) to evaluate the comprehensibility and difficulty of the translated and culturally adapted PG-SGA. The HCPs also evaluated the content validity of the translation. We evaluated each item and quantified scale indices for content validity (item content validity index (I-CVI), scale content validity index (S-CVI)), comprehensibility (item comprehensibility index (I-CI), scale comprehensibility index (S-CI)), and difficulty (item difficulty index (I-DI), scale difficulty index (S-DI)).Patients evaluated the comprehensibility and difficulty of the patient component as excellent (S-CI = 0.97, S-DI = 0.96). The professionals rated the Japanese version of both components of the PG-SGA as very relevant (S-CVI = 0.94). The professionals evaluated the comprehensibility of the professional component as being acceptable (S-CI = 0.88) but difficult (S-DI = 0.69), based predominantly on items related to physical examination (I-DI = 0.33-0.67).The PG-SGA was systematically translated and culturally adapted for the Japanese setting according to the ISPOR process. The Japanese version of the PG-SGA was perceived as comprehensive, easy to use, and relevant. Perceived difficulty in professional components, specifically in the context of metabolic demand and physical examination, will require appropriate training for professionals in order to optimize implementation.

This pilot study evaluated nutrition status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes among outpatients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Data were collected from 19 patients (18 males, 1 female) during 3 time points: once before chemoradiotherapy (CRT) initiation and 1 and 3 months after CRT. Nutrition status was evaluated using the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Malnutrition was defined as PG-SGA stage B (moderate/suspected malnutrition) or stage C (severely malnourished). HRQOL was assessed through the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its HNC-specific module (QLQ-H&N35). We found that well-nourished patients reported having fewer issues with pain, fatigue, appetite loss, chewing, sticky saliva, coughing, and social eating than those categorized as malnourished (P 2). Compared with pretreatment, patients reported more severe problems with chewing, swallowing, sticky saliva, dry mouth, speech, social eating, and taste and smell sensations at 1-month follow-up, although issues with dry mouth persisted 3 months post treatment (P =.003). In conclusion, malnourished patients reported having worse HRQOL symptoms compared with well-nourished patients. Routine nutrition and psychosocial assessment through PG-SGA and EORTC tools might help identify patients in need of nutrition and psychosocial care.

Rationale: Lean body mass, including muscle, is known to decrease with age, which may contribute to loss of physical function, an indicator of frailty. Moreover, low muscle thickness is considered an indicator of frailty in critically ill patients. However, little is known about the relationship between muscle thickness and frailty in community dwelling adults. Therefore, we studied the association between frailty and whole body lean body mass index (LBMi) and muscle thickness of the rectus femoris (RF) in community dwelling older adults. Methods: In older adults aged ≥55y, who participated in the Hanze Health and Ageing Study, frailty status was assessed with a multidimensional instrument, measuring frailty on a cognitive, psychosocial en physical level, i.e., the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI), using ≥4 as cut-off score for frailty. LBMi (kg/m2) was estimated with BIA (Quadscan 4000©, Bodystat), using the build-in equation. Muscle thickness (mm) of the RF was measured with ultrasound, using the Bodymetrix© (Intelametrix). Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed for LBMi and for RF thickness. Multivariate analysis corrected for age, sex, body mass index (kg/m2), and handgrip strength (handgrip dynamometer; kg). A p-level of

OBJECTIVES: In Dutch hospitals malnutrition screening is routinely performed at admission, but not during follow-up or before discharge. Therefore we evaluated nutritional status during hospitalization and predischarge in a routine care setting.METHODS: The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) was used to assess nutritional status (PG-SGA Categories: A = well nourished, B = moderate/suspected malnutrition, C = severely malnourished) in adult patients on four wards of a university hospital at admission, day 5, day 10, and day ≥15. Because data were obtained in the context of clinical routine, not all data points are available for all patients. Last assessment before discharge (within ≤4 d) was taken as predischarge measurement.RESULTS: PG-SGA data at admission were obtained in 584 patients (age 57.2 ± 17.3 y, 51.4% women, body mass index 27.0 ± 5.5 kg/m2). Prevalence of PG-SGA stage B/C was 31% at admission, 56% on day 5 (n = 292), 66% on day 10 (n = 101), and 79% on day ≥15 (n = 14). PG-SGA predischarge data were available in 537 patients, 36% of whom were PG-SGA stage B/C. Of the 91 patients assessed both at admission and predischarge, 30% of well-nourished patients became malnourished and 82% of malnourished patients remained so.CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients is high at admission (31%) and, importantly, also high predischarge (36%). Malnutrition is more prevalent in patients with a longer length of stay. These findings underscore the importance of follow-up of nutritional status in hospitalized patients and adequate transmural nutrition care after discharge to prevent malnutrition from remaining undetected and untreated.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine how diagnosing and coding of malnutrition in an internal medicine ward setting influences potential hospital reimbursement. Methods Patients admitted to the internal medicine ward of Centro Hospitalar do Medio Ave between April 24 and May 22, 2018 were screened by Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, and patients classified as at “risk for malnutrition” were assessed by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). For each patient, medical coders simulated coding, taking into account the malnutrition diagnosis by PG-SGA, and compared it with the real coding as retrieved from the medical records. For the coding, the Diagnosis-Related Group and Severity of Illness were determined, allowing the calculation of hospitalization cost (HC) according to Portuguese Ministerial Directive number 207/2017. The increase of HC in this subsample was extrapolated to the number of patients admitted during 2018, to obtain the estimated unreported annual HC. Results Of the 71% (92/129) participants having malnutrition risk according to Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, 86% were malnourished. Including malnutrition diagnosis in the coding of malnourished patients increased the level of Severity of Illness in 39% of cases and increased HC for this subsample, resulting in €52 000. Extrapolating for the annual HC, total HC reached €1.3 million. Conclusions Identifying malnourished patients and including this highly prevalent diagnosis in medical records allows malnutrition coding and consequent increase of HC. This can improve the potential hospital reimbursement, which could contribute to the quality of patient care and economic sustainability of hospitals.

Background: Malnutrition is an important risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes such as infection and delayed wound healing, often resulting in longer hospital stay and higher readmission and mortality rates. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between the risk for malnutrition prior to elective vascular surgery and postoperative complications. Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, elective vascular surgery patients were included from January 2015 until November 2018. Included were percutaneous, carotid, endovascular, peripheral bypass, abdominal, lower extremity amputation, and other interventions. The patients were assessed for risk for malnutrition using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF), whereby