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Impact of Nutritional Status on Muscle Architecture in Elderly Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Nutritional alterations are highly prevalent in older rather than adult hospitalized patients. In these subjects, a loss of physical performance is dependent on the impairment of muscle architecture. This study aimed to investigate the association between the nutritional status and muscle architecture in elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards. 68 aged patients admitted in internal medicine wards were consecutively enrolled and stratified in three groups based on the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score: well-fed (WF), at risk of malnutrition (RM), and malnourished (M). Biochemical indices and anthropometric parameters were sampled at hospital admission. Furthermore, all patients were assessed at admission and after 7 days of hospitalization for muscle strength (hand-grip test), mass (bioimpedentiometry), and architecture (ultrasonography of vastus lateralis). At hospital admission, M patients showed lower percentage of fat free mass and muscle mass with respect to WF and RM. Furthermore, M group presented with lower muscle thickness and pennation angle, as compared to WF and RM. At admission, the MNA score was positively related to the pennation angle and muscle strength. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the nutritional status at admission was the only significant factor influencing pennation angle. Finally, during the first 7 days of hospitalization, a decrease of pennation angle occurred in all the groups studied. We conclude that malnutrition at admission is associated with impaired muscle architecture in elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards. Moreover, muscle architecture is impacted by early hospitalization, irrespective of nutritional status.

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Author notes

  1. these Authors contributed equally to the study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ce.R.M.I. - Centre for Aging Research - Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

    A. Lo Buglio, Francesco Bellanti, G. Serviddio & G. Vendemiale

  2. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Viale Pinto, 1, 71121, Foggia, Italy

    Francesco Bellanti

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  1. A. Lo Buglio
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  2. Francesco Bellanti
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  3. G. Serviddio
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  4. G. Vendemiale
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Correspondence to Francesco Bellanti.

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Conflict of interest: The Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethicals Standards: The study complies with the current Italian laws, it was approved by our Institutional Review Board and performed according to the declaration of Helsinki.

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Lo Buglio, A., Bellanti, F., Serviddio, G. et al. Impact of Nutritional Status on Muscle Architecture in Elderly Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards. J Nutr Health Aging 24, 717–722 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1407-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1407-3

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