[Association of the geriatric nutritional risk index and medical or social factors in elderly patients with regular home-visit medical care: A cross-sectional study].

Abstract

Aim: We explored the association among the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and medical, physical, and cognitive factors in elderly patients who regularly receive home-visit medical care.

Methods: Patients ≥65 years of age who received regular home-visit medical care at our clinic were included in this cross-sectional study. The physical and cognitive function were evaluated based on the doctor's opinion for long-term care insurance. The GNRI was used to assess nutritional status as follows: normal nutrition (GNRI ≥98), mild malnutrition (GNRI 92 to <98), moderate malnutrition (GNRI >82 to <92) and severe malnutrition (GNRI <82). We used an ordinal logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: We enrolled 265 patients in this study. The median age was 87 (82-92) years, there were 190 (71.7%) women, and the median GNRI was 89.8 (84.0-96.7). Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that the GNRI was associated with wheelchair mobility (odds ratios [OR]: 2.03; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.16-3.58; P=0.012), living in a nursing home living (OR: 1.88; 95%CI: 1.17-3.04; P=0.010), consumption of a blended diet (OR: 3.21; 95%CI: 1.44-7.58; P=0.004), tube feeding (OR: 4.09; 95%CI: 1.12-15.88; P=0.045), hypertension (OR: 0.58; 95%CI: 0.35-0.95; P=0.033), dyslipidemia (OR: 0.54; 95%CI: 0.32-0.91; P=0.023).

Conclusion: Hypertension and dyslipidemia were positively associated with the GNRI. Nursing home living and wheelchair mobility were negatively associated with the GNRI.