Effect of an oral inmunoenhanced formula on sarcopenia and quality of life in ambulatory patients with cancer.

Background: cancer patients are a group of high risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia. Inmunoenhanced oral nutritional supplements (ONS) can improve this complex situation.

Objective: the objective of our study was to assess the effectiveness of an inmunoenhanced oral nutritional supplements (ONS) on sarcopenia and quality of life (QoL) in ambulatory patients with cancer and malnutrition.

Material and methods: 158 ambulatory patients with cancer were recruited. A biochemical, anthropometric, impedance measurement, nutritional survey, muscle ultrasound and EQ5D quality of life test were performed before and after 12 weeks of intervention with 2 bricks per day of an immunoenhanced ONS.

Results: the mean age was 69.2 ± 10.9 years (n = 158). At baseline, 43.7 % were classified as severe malnutrition with GLIM criteria; following the intervention, 33.7 % were reclassified as severe malnutrition status (p = 0.013). After dietary intervention, handgrip strength (1.7 ± 0.3 kg; p = 0.02), proteins (0.7 ± 0.2 g/dL; p = 0.01), albumin levels (0.8 ± 0.2 g/dL; p = 0.03), skeletal muscle index (5.4 ± 0.1 kg/m2; p = 0.01), appendicular skeletal mass (3.2 ± 0.3 kg/m2; p = 0.02) and appendicular skeletal mass index (2.5 ± 0.3 kg/m2; p = 0.01) improved. At the beginning of the study, 29.1 % of the patients presented according to the EWGSOP2 criteria, which decreased to 20.9 % after nutritional treatment (p = 0.01). The overall EQ-5D index score did not demonstrate a significant improvement following 12 weeks of supplementation. Analysis of the EQ-5D dimensions showed a significant improvement in the percentages ("no problems") ofmobility dimension and usual activities dimensions.

Conclusions: the use of an inmunoenhanced ONS in real-world life study with patients with cancer shows a beneficial effect on nutritional parameters, sarcopenia and quality of life.