Malnutrition according to ESPEN consensus predicts hospitalizations and long-term mortality in rehabilitation patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Nutritional disorders are frequent in patients with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) and have negative health impacts. This study aimed to explore the value of the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) definition of malnutrition (and/or its individual components) to predict hospitalizations and mortality at 2 years, and to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in COPD patients referred to pulmonary rehabilitation.

Methods: The study was a prospective analysis of 118 patients with COPD free of exacerbations and/or hospital admissions in the previous two months. Main outcome variables were mortality, hospital admissions, and length of stay at 2-year follow-up; main covariates were malnutrition assessment according to the ESPEN definition and its components: unintentional weight loss, body mass index, and fat-free mass index (FFMI). Body composition was assessed by bioimpedance analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age and airflow obstruction as potential confounders.

Results: The observed prevalence of malnutrition was 24.6%. Malnutrition was associated with increased mortality risk (HR = 3.9 [95% CI: 1.4-10.62]). FFMI was independently associated with increased mortality (HR = 17.0 [95% CI: 2.24-129.8]), which persisted after adjustment for age and lung function (adjusted HR = 13.0 [95% CI: 1.67-101.7]). Low age-related body mass index was associated with increased risk of hospital admissions.

Conclusions: Malnutrition according to ESPEN criteria, highly prevalent in patients with stable COPD referred to pulmonary rehabilitation, was associated with 4 times greater mortality risk after 2 years. Low FFMI was associated with a 17-fold increase in mortality risk, suggesting independent predictive value.