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Article

Association between Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Body Composition, Inflammation and Frailty in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

by
Aurelio Lo Buglio
*,†,
Francesco Bellanti
,
Daniela Francesca Pia Carmignano
,
Gaetano Serviddio
and
Gianluigi Vendemiale
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Viale Pinto 1, 71122 Foggia, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Nutrients 2024, 16(5), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050576
Submission received: 25 January 2024 / Revised: 14 February 2024 / Accepted: 17 February 2024 / Published: 20 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malnutrition in Hospitalized Patients)

Abstract

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score has demonstrated its ability to identify patients with poor nutritional status and predict various clinical outcomes. Our objective was to assess the association between the CONUT score, inflammatory status, and body composition, as well as its ability to identify patients at risk of frailty in hospitalized elderly patients. Methods: a total of 361 patients were retrospectively recruited and divided into three groups based on the CONUT score. Results: patients with a score ≥5 exhibited significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Neutrophil/Lymphocytes ratio (NLR), main platelet volume (MPV), and ferritin, compared to those with a lower score. Furthermore, these patients showed unfavorable changes in body composition, including a lower percentage of skeletal muscle mass (MM) and fat-free mass (FFM) and a higher percentage of fatty mass (FM). A positive correlation was found between the CONUT score and inflammatory markers, Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF), and FM. Conversely, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini-Mental Status Examination, activity daily living (ADL), instrumental activity daily living (IADL), Barthel index, FFM, and MM showed a negative correlation. Frailty was highly prevalent among patients with a higher CONUT score. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated high accuracy in identifying frail patients (sensitivity). Conclusions: a high CONUT score is associated with a pro-inflammatory status as well as with unfavorable body composition. Additionally, it is a good tool to identify frailty among hospitalized elderly patients.
Keywords: malnutrition; elderly; hospitalized elderly; screening tools; CONUT score; inflammation; frailty; body composition malnutrition; elderly; hospitalized elderly; screening tools; CONUT score; inflammation; frailty; body composition

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lo Buglio, A.; Bellanti, F.; Carmignano, D.F.P.; Serviddio, G.; Vendemiale, G. Association between Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Body Composition, Inflammation and Frailty in Hospitalized Elderly Patients. Nutrients 2024, 16, 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050576

AMA Style

Lo Buglio A, Bellanti F, Carmignano DFP, Serviddio G, Vendemiale G. Association between Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Body Composition, Inflammation and Frailty in Hospitalized Elderly Patients. Nutrients. 2024; 16(5):576. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050576

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lo Buglio, Aurelio, Francesco Bellanti, Daniela Francesca Pia Carmignano, Gaetano Serviddio, and Gianluigi Vendemiale. 2024. "Association between Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Body Composition, Inflammation and Frailty in Hospitalized Elderly Patients" Nutrients 16, no. 5: 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050576

APA Style

Lo Buglio, A., Bellanti, F., Carmignano, D. F. P., Serviddio, G., & Vendemiale, G. (2024). Association between Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Body Composition, Inflammation and Frailty in Hospitalized Elderly Patients. Nutrients, 16(5), 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050576

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