The study reveals a link between malnutrition and sarcopenia in patients with end-stage renal disease

End-stage renal disease (MHD) patients often suffer from malnutrition and sarcopenia, a form of musculoskeletal atrophy that increases mortality. The unraveling of the long-suspicious relationship between malnutrition and sarcopenia has confused scientists due to the lack of a diagnostic standard for nutritional health or condition. Researchers at Osaka’s Metropolitan University have taken a step to explain the relationship with a convenient, objective, Japanese-developed nutritional risk index, a new approach to early detection of sarcopenia in public transport patients. Their findings were published in Frontiers in nutrition.

The investigation of malnutrition in patients with public transport usually involves complicated nutritional screening tools, which often require subjective evaluation by investigators, which makes them time-consuming and non-reproducible. The research team went beyond this practice and used the Japanese Nutrition Risk Index (NRI), a nutritional indicator designed for patients with public transport.

The NRI score is calculated from four objective and routinely measured variables, namely creatinine, total cholesterol, serum albumin and BMI. A high NRI score signals malnutrition. “

Dr. AS The study was conducted by Masafumi Kurajoh

Sarcopenia is characterized by loss of muscle mass, strength and function. The researchers collected data on the NRI score, muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance of 315 patients with public transport, who were divided into low-risk and medium / high-risk groups according to their NRI score. Sarcopenia has been diagnosed in patients with low muscle mass together with low muscle strength or low physical performance. Those who underwent all three conditions were considered to be patients with severe sarcopenia.

The results of the multiple regression analysis show a significant relationship between the NRI score or the medium / high risk group based on the NRI score and sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, as well as low muscle mass, strength and physical performance. These findings confirm that malnutrition contributes to sarcopenia by reducing the muscle mass, strength and physical performance of patients with public transport. In addition, the results suggest the usefulness of NRI scores as a tool for detecting sarcopenia.

“Our findings suggest that the NRI score is a simple and objective nutritional screening tool for the early detection of sarcopenia,” concluded Dr. Kurajoh. “The significant relationship between malnutrition and sarcopenia identified in our study also signals the need for nutritional-focused therapeutic strategies to prevent the onset and progression of sarcopenia.”