Association of CT-based diagnosis of sarcopenia with prognosis and treatment response in patients at risk of malnutrition - A secondary analysis of the Effect of early nutritional support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial (EFFORT) trial.

Background & Aim: CT-derived measures of muscle mass may help to identify patients with sarcopenia. We investigated the prognostic significance of CT-derived sarcopenia and muscle attenuation with nutritional markers, clinical outcomes and response to nutritional support in medical in-patients at nutritional risk.

Method: Within this secondary analysis of the randomized-controlled Effect of early nutritional support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial (EFFORT) comparing individualized nutritional support with usual care nutrition in medical inpatients, we investigated associations of CT-based sarcopenia and muscle attenuation at the level L3 with different nutritional and clinical outcomes, and the response to the nutritional intervention.

Proneuropeptide Y and neuropeptide Y metabolites in healthy volunteers and patients with a pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY1-36) is a vasoconstrictor peptide co-secreted with catecholamines by sympathetic nerves, the adrenal medulla, and neoplasms such as pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs). It is produced by the intracellular cleavage of proNPY and metabolized into multiple fragments with distinct biological activities. NPY immunoassays for PPGL have a diagnostic sensitivity ranging from 33 to 100%, depending on the antibody used.

Prospective validation of five malnutrition screening and assessment instruments among medical inpatients: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Background & Aims: Screening for malnutrition upon hospital admission is the first crucial step for proper nutritional assessment and treatment. While several nutritional screening and assessment instruments exist, there is a lack of head-to-head validation of these instruments. We studied the ability of five different nutrition screening and assessment instruments to predict 1-year mortality and response to nutritional treatment in participants of the EFFORT randomized trial.

Validation of modified GLIM criteria to predict adverse clinical outcome and response to nutritional treatment: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Background & Aims: The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) recently suggested specific criteria to standardize the diagnosis of malnutrition. There is need for validation of these criteria regarding response to nutrition treatment. Our aim was to validate modified GLIM (mGLIM) criteria among medical inpatients at risk of disease related malnutrition for prediction of outcome and response to nutritional therapy.

Admission serum albumin concentrations and response to nutritional therapy in hospitalised patients at malnutrition risk: Secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial.

Background: Historically, admission serum albumin concentrations have been considered useful biochemical markers for nutrition assessment. However, there is a lack of randomised trial data investigating whether low albumin concentrations are helpful for identifying patients benefitting from nutritional support.

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the EFFORT trial, a Swiss-wide multicentre, randomised controlled trial comparing individualised nutritional support with usual care nutrition in medical inpatients from April 1, 2014, to February 1, 2018.

The impact of nutritional support on malnourished inpatients with aging-related vulnerability.

Objectives: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in patients with aging-related vulnerability defined by very old age (≥80 y), physical frailty or cognitive impairment, and increases the risks for morbidity and mortality. The effects of individualized nutritional support for patients with aging-related vulnerability in the acute hospital setting on mortality and other clinical outcomes remains understudied.

Methods: For this secondary analysis of the randomized-controlled Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial (EFFORT), we analyzed data of patients at a nutritional risk (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score ≥3 points) with aging-related vulnerability, randomized to receive protocol-guided individualized nutritional support to reach specific protein and energy goals (intervention group) or routine hospital food (control group).

Individualized Nutritional Support for Hospitalized Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: Deterioration of nutritional status during hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure increases mortality. Whether nutritional support during hospitalization reduces these risks, or on the contrary, may be harmful due to an increase in salt and fluid intake, remains unclear.

Objectives: The purpose of this trial was to study the effect of nutritional support on mortality in patients hospitalized with chronic heart failure who are at nutritional risk.

Admission kidney function is a strong predictor for the response to nutritional support in patients at nutritional risk.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at substantial risk of malnutrition, which negatively affects clinical outcomes. We investigated the association of kidney function assessed at hospital admission and effectiveness of nutritional support in hospitalized medical patients at risk of malnutrition.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of an investigator-initiated, randomized-controlled, Swiss multicenter trial (EFFORT) that compared individualised nutritional support with usual hospital food on clinical outcomes.

Long-Term Efficacy of Intensive Zoledronate Therapy and Predictors of Retreatment in Paget's Disease of Bone.

Despite the current debate on the best therapeutic approach, i.e. symptomatic vs intensive strategy, one zoledronate (Zol) infusion is effective in most patients with Paget's disease of bone (PDB), whereas few need retreatment, whose predictors are not well established.

Value of handgrip strength to predict clinical outcomes and therapeutic response in malnourished medical inpatients: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Disease-related malnutrition is associated with loss of muscle mass and impaired functional status. Handgrip strength (HGS) has been proposed as an easy-to-use tool to assess muscle strength in clinical practice.

Objectives: We investigated the prognostic implications of HGS in patients at nutritional risk with regard to clinical outcomes and response to nutritional support.

Effect of nutritional support in patients with lower respiratory tract infection: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Background: In polymorbid patients with bronchopulmonary infection, malnutrition is an independent risk factor for mortality. There is a lack of interventional data investigating whether providing nutritional support during the hospital stay in patients at risk for malnutrition presenting with lower respiratory tract infection lowers mortality.

Methods: For this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (EFFORT), we analyzed data of a subgroup of patients with confirmed lower respiratory tract infection from an initial cohort of 2028 patients.

Six-month outcomes after individualized nutritional support during the hospital stay in medical patients at nutritional risk: Secondary analysis of a prospective randomized trial.

Background: Among medical inpatients at risk of malnutrition, the use of individualized nutritional support during the hospital stay was found to reduce complications and improve mortality at short-term. We evaluated clinical outcomes at 6-months follow-up.

Methods: We randomly assigned 2028 patients to receive protocol-guided individualized nutritional support to reach protein and energy goals (intervention group) or hospital food as usual (control group) during the hospital stay.

Association of Baseline Inflammation With Effectiveness of Nutritional Support Among Patients With Disease-Related Malnutrition: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Inflammation is a key driver of malnutrition during illness and is often accompanied by metabolic effects, including insulin resistance and reduction of appetite. However, it still remains unclear if inflammation influences the response to nutritional support among patients with disease-related malnutrition.

Objective: To examine whether patients' baseline inflammatory status is associated with the effect of nutritional support on 30-day mortality.

Nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002) is a strong and modifiable predictor risk score for short-term and long-term clinical outcomes: secondary analysis of a prospective randomised trial.

Introduction: The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) identifies patients at risk of malnutrition. We studied the prognostic implications of this score with regard to short-term and long-term clinical outcomes in a well-characterised cohort of medical inpatients from a previous trial.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of an investigator-initiated, prospective randomised controlled multicenter trial in Switzerland (EFFORT) that compared the effects of an individualised nutritional support intervention with standard of care.

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in malnourished inpatients and associated with higher mortality: A prospective cohort study.

The impact of vitamin D deficiency on the recovery of patients with malnutrition remains undefined. Our aim was to study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a well-characterized cohort of patients with malnutrition and its association with outcomes.Within this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we examined the association of vitamin D deficiency and adverse clinical outcomes over a follow-up of 180 days in hospitalized patients at risk for malnutrition.

Individualised nutritional support in medical inpatients at nutritional risk: a randomised clinical trial.

Background: Guidelines recommend the use of nutritional support during hospital stays for medical patients (patients not critically ill and not undergoing surgical procedures) at risk of malnutrition. However, the supporting evidence for this recommendation is insufficient, and there is growing concern about the possible negative effects of nutritional therapy during acute illness on recovery and clinical outcomes. Our aim was thus to test the hypothesis that protocol-guided individualised nutritional support to reach protein and caloric goals reduces the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in medical inpatients at nutritional risk.

Catecholamine metabolism in paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma: similar tumors in different sites?

Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and paraganglioma (PGL) are catecholamine-producing neuroendocrine tumors that arise respectively inside or outside the adrenal medulla. Several reports have shown that adrenal glucocorticoids (GC) play an important regulatory role on the genes encoding the main enzymes involved in catecholamine (CAT) synthesis i.e.