Relationship between GLIM criteria and disease-specific symptoms and its impact on 5-year survival of esophageal cancer patients

Prevalence of Nutritional Risk and Obesity in Mexican Cancer Outpatients

Introduction: Malnutrition is a critical issue among cancer patients, leading to adverse clinical outcomes, including increased treatment toxicity, reduced physical function, and decreased survival. Nutritional screening is essential to identify patients at risk and provide timely interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of various nutritional screening tools in identifying the risk of malnutrition and obesity in Mexican cancer outpatients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 396 adult cancer outpatients at a public hospital in Mexico. Nutritional risk was evaluated using NRS-2002, MUST, MST, NUTRISCORE, and PG-SGA, while malnutrition was assessed using GLIM criteria and PG-SGA. Anthropometric and demographic data were collected. Sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficients were calculated to determine the performance of the screening tools. Results: Nutritional risk was identified in 22.7-26.5% of patients, with the highest agreement observed between MUST and PG-SGA (k = 0.64). Malnutrition prevalence was higher using GLIM criteria (37.4%) compared to PG-SGA (25.8%, p < 0.001). Overweight and obesity affected 37.1% and 23.5% of patients, respectively. Low BMI and reduced HGS were strongly associated with nutritional risk and malnutrition (p < 0.001). Conclusions: MUST and PG-SGA are reliable tools for nutritional screening in cancer outpatients, while GLIM criteria detect a higher prevalence of malnutrition than PG-SGA. The high rates of overweight and obesity highlight the complex nutritional challenges in this population, emphasizing the need for tailored nutritional assessments and interventions.

Intensified outpatient nutrition management improves body weight and skeletal muscle loss after esophageal cancer surgery: a single-center, retrospective, single-arm clinical study

BACKGROUND

The progression of malnutrition and sarcopenia after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer negatively influences long-term prognosis. To improve nutritional status after esophagectomy, we introduced an intensified nutrition management (iNM) protocol, in which nutritional counselling by dietitians was provided more frequently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of iNM compared with the conventional NM (cNM).

METHODS

We included 126 patients who underwent esophagectomy before and after NM revision, and compared nutritional status and changes in body composition after esophagectomy between the cNM and iNM groups. Nutritional parameters were assessed, and we also calculated skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), and visceral fat area (VFA) using computed tomography volumetry.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics or surgical outcomes between the groups. Compared with the cNM group, nutritional counselling was provided more frequently (P < 0.001) in the iNM group, and compliance rate increased from 56.3 to 91.9% (P < 0.001). Body weight loss at 4 and 6 months and SMI reduction at 6 months were significantly improved in the iNM group compared with the cNM group (P < 0.001, P = 0.032, and P = 0.023, respectively). There were no significant differences in the changes in SMD, VFA, serum albumin level, and prealbumin level between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Outpatient iNM significantly mitigated the reduction in body weight and SMI 3-6 months after esophagectomy.

Comparative Study of Different Inflammation Definition Methods of GLIM in the Diagnosis of Malnutrition in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the influence of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) on diagnosing malnutrition in acute pancreatitis (AP) based on various inflammatory criteria.

Patients and Methods

A total of 258 AP patients admitted to a large medical center between June 2019 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent evaluation using the original GLIM and GLIM criteria based on C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and CRP/albumin ratio (CAR). The study explored the impact of malnutrition diagnosis using different GLIM criteria on various clinical outcomes of AP patients and assessed the agreement of different GLIM criteria compared to the original GLIM.

Results

Thirty-seven (14.34%) patients were malnourished according to the original GLIM criteria. Using the other four criteria, malnutrition rates ranged from 6.59% to 12.40%. Malnutrition diagnosed by all GLIM criteria was associated with local complications. Malnutrition identified by the original, CRP-based, and CAR-based GLIM criteria was also associated with infectious complications and composite outcomes. Meanwhile, albumin-based malnutrition was associated with all adverse outcomes except organ failure. When considering all four GLIM criteria except the original one, malnourished patients exhibited longer lengths of stay than non-malnourished patients. Under the CRP- and albumin-based GLIM criteria, hospitalization costs were higher for malnourished patients. The sensitivity analyses demonstrated the robustness of the results. The agreement of the four GLIM criteria with the original GLIM criteria were consistent with the corresponding incidence of malnutrition.

Conclusion

This study validated the GLIM criteria for the first time in AP. Malnourished patients were more likely to experience local complications than non-malnourished AP patients. However, the inconsistency between GLIM criteria based on disease burden and various inflammatory markers was significant. The inflammatory marker-based GLIM criteria demonstrated a stronger predictive value than the original GLIM criteria in assessing prognosis in AP patients.

Routine assessment of nutritional, functional and inflammatory criteria in patients with cancer: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The review discusses the significant impact of cancer on patients, particularly focusing on cachexia - a condition marked by weight and lean tissue loss. This condition critically affects the nutritional status, quality of life, and treatment outcomes of cancer patients.

RESEARCH QUESTION

The review seeks to understand the effectiveness and necessity of routine clinical monitoring of cancer cachexia, and how it can aid in better therapeutic interventions.

METHODS

The systematic review followed a pre-defined protocol based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)statement. A systematic search using specific keywords was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE databases on October 24, 2023, supplemented by citations from the original papers. The selection process involved screening titles and abstracts for relevance.

RESULTS

The review finds varying levels of effectiveness in the different measurement criteria used for monitoring cachexia. It highlights the potential of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) framework in defining and managing cancer cachexia, though noting some challenges in standardisation and implementation of measurements.

CONCLUSION

The present systematic review highlights the variability and lack of standardization in the application of GLIM criteria for monitoring cachexia in cancer patients. Despite these challenges, it will be important to determine the most efficacious clinically routine nutritional and inflammation assessments in the routine application of GLIM criteria assessment.

Validation of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition Criteria for Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis

Background and Aim

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) has proposed criteria for the diagnosis of malnutrition. No studies validated the GLIM criteria in acute pancreatitis (AP). The present study aimed to validate the predictive capacity of GLIM criteria for adverse outcomes in AP patients.

Patients and Methods

Clinical data of 269 patients with AP were analyzed retrospectively. The Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) was chosen as the screening tool. Multivariate logistic regression analyses evaluated the adverse clinical outcomes in malnourished patients.

Results

Overall, 160 patients (59.5%) were at nutritional risk and 38 (14.1%) were malnourished. Reduced muscle mass/ low body mass index + inflammation combinations contributed most to malnutrition overall and in each subgroup. The malnourished group had lower hemoglobin, neutrophils, albumin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides than the well-nourished group. The malnourished group had higher hospitalization costs (CNY, 11319.34 vs 9258.22, p <0.001) and more local complications (34.2% vs 14.7%, p =0.009) than the well-nourished group. There was an interaction between malnutrition and overweight/obesity on local complications (p for interaction = 0.023). Multivariate logistic regression showed malnutrition was significantly associated with local complications (OR 12.2, 95% CI: 2.51-59.37), infectious complications (OR 9.95, 95% CI: 1.25-79.44) and composite adverse outcome (OR 4.78, 95% CI: 1.05-21.73) in the overweight/obesity subgroup. There was no association between malnutrition and the rate of various adverse outcomes in the non-overweight/obesity subgroup. Additionally, we observed an association between malnutrition and composite adverse outcome (OR 6.75, 95% CI: 1.49-30.68) in patients <70 years only in females.

Conclusion

Malnourished AP patients were more likely to have adverse outcomes than well-nourished patients. Malnutrition was associated with various adverse outcomes only in the overweight/obesity subgroups.

Predictive value of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria combined with handgrip strength for postoperative outcomes in overweight colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria are increasingly used to assess the nutritional status of hospitalized patients and predict the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors; however, malnutrition is often overlooked in overweight individuals, such as colorectal cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the GLIM criteria combined with handgrip strength (HGS) in overweight colorectal cancer patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled overweight patients who underwent radical resection for colorectal cancer at two centers between 2015 and 2021. Malnutrition was diagnosed based on the GLIM criteria. Skeletal muscle mass was assessed using the skeletal muscle index, and skeletal muscle function was assessed using the HGS test. The risk factors for complications and survival were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 850 patients were enrolled in the study. The incidence of malnutrition in the GLIM and HGS-GLIM groups was 12.4% and 6.4%, respectively. The incidence of total complications in both the malnutrition groups was significantly higher than that in the control group. Patients in the HGS-GLIM-malnutrition group had worse overall survival and disease-free survival. HGS-GLIM was independently associated with postoperative complications (P = 0.046), overall survival (P = 0.037), and disease-free survival (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

The GLIM criteria combined with the HGS test is an effective tool for diagnosing malnutrition. Particularly, these modalities are applicable in overweight colorectal cancer patients. Compared with the standard GLIM criteria, this tool has a better predictive value for postoperative complications and long-term survival.

PD-1 inhibitors combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin in first-line treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The combinations of PD-1 inhibitors with paclitaxel/cisplatinum (PD-1 + TP) and fluoropyrimidine/cisplatinum (PD-1 + FP) both have been shown to improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with previously untreated, advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, there is no consensus on which chemotherapy regimen combined with PD-1 has better efficacy. To deal with this important issue in the first-line treatment of patients with ESCC, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed.

METHODS

Data were collected from eligible studies searched in Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for the OS, and PFS, odds ratio (OR) for the objective response rate (ORR) and ≥ 3 grade treatment-related adverse events (≥ 3TRAEs) were estimated to evaluate the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors combined with TP or FP.

RESULTS

Five RCTs and one retrospective study involving 3685 patients and evaluating four treatments were included in this NMA. Compared to other treatments, PD-1 + TP was better. For the PFS, the HRs for PD-1 + TP compared to PD-1 + FP, TP and FP were 0.59 (0.44, 0.80), 0.56 (0.51, 0.61) and 0.45 (0.37, 0.56) respectively. For the OS, PD-1 + TP was also a better treatment compared to other treatments. The HRs were 0.74 (0.56, 0.96), 0.64 (0.57, 0.71), 0.53 (0.43, 0.67) respectively. For the ORR, there was no significant difference between PD-1 + TP and PD-1 + FP, and the ORs were 1.2 (0.69, 2.11). Compare with TP and FP, PD-1 + TP had an obvious advantage, ORs were 2.5 (2.04, 3.04) and 2.95 (1.91, 4.63). For ≥ 3TRAEs, PD-1 + TP compared to other treatments, ORs were 1.34 (0.74, 2.46) and 1.13 (0.92, 1.38) and 2.23 (1.35, 3.69).

CONCLUSION

PD-1 + TP significantly improved both PFS and OS compared to PD-1 + FP. Taking into account both efficacy and safety, PD-1 + TP may be a superior first-line treatment option for ESCC.

Impact of GLIM criteria-based malnutrition diagnosis on outcomes following liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), comprising several of the major global clinical nutrition societies, suggested the world's first criteria for diagnosis of the severity of malnutrition. However, the impact of the resulting diagnosis on patient outcomes for those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following liver resection (LR) has not been investigated.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 293 patients with HCC who underwent LR between January 2011 and December 2018 was performed. We compared overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and evaluated prognostic factors after LR using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

RESULTS

Preoperative patient nutritional status, n (%), was classified as follows: normal, 130 (44%), moderate malnutrition, 116 (40%), and severe malnutrition, 47 (16%). The median OS (129 vs. 43 months, p < 0.001) and median RFS (54 vs. 20 months, p = 0.001) were significantly greater in the normal group than in the severe malnutrition group. Multivariate analysis showed that severe malnutrition was a significant risk factor for OS (p = 0.006) and RFS (p = 0.010) after initial LR.

CONCLUSION

Severe malnutrition, as diagnosed by the GLIM criteria, is a significant prognostic factor for survival and recurrence in patients with HCC after LR.

Association of Malnutrition Diagnosed Using Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition Criteria with Severe Postoperative Complications After Gastrectomy in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between malnutrition assessed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and the occurrence of severe postoperative complications (SPCs) after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 220 patients with gastric cancer were included in this retrospective study. According to the GLIM criteria, the first step was to use the Nutrition Risk Screening Score 2002 to conduct nutritional risk screening for patients and the second step was to diagnose and grade the severity of malnutrition in patients at risk of malnutrition. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification system, SPCs were defined as C-D Grade IIIa or higher. Results: Overall, 66 (30.0%) patients were diagnosed with malnutrition, including 32 (14.5%) with moderate malnutrition and 34 (15.5%) with severe malnutrition. The incidence of SPCs was 14.5%, and the most frequent postoperative event was anastomotic leakage. In the multivariate regression analysis, malnutrition was considered an independent risk factor for SPCs (P < .001). After adjusting for various factors, the grading association remained statistically significant. Compared with patients with normal nutrition, patients with moderate and severe malnutrition have a nearly 15-fold (OR = 15.682, 95% CI: 4.481-54.877, P < .001) and 20-fold (OR = 20.554, 95% CI: 5.771-73.202, P < .001) increased risk of developing SPCs, respectively. Conclusions: Malnutrition assessed by GLIM was an independent risk factor for SPCs in gastric cancer patients. Therefore, early identification of malnourished patients is crucial for timely implementation of nutritional treatment and reducing the occurrence of postoperative complications.

Improving the assessment of malnutrition in cancer: Using systemic inflammation markers as a supplement to the inflammation items of the GLIM criteria

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Systemic inflammation is a key pathogenic criterion for diagnosing malnutrition using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Although cancer is commonly considered as a chronic inflammation-related disease, the inflammatory burden may vary depending on the type and stage of cancer. Therefore, a more precise definition of inflammation criteria could facilitate the identification of malnutrition in cancer.

METHODS

This prospective multicenter study included 1683 cancer patients screened via NRS2002 for malnutrition risk. The inflammatory burden index (IBI), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and albumin (ALB) level were used to assess the inflammatory burden. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between the GLIM criteria and overall survival. Harrell's concordance index (C-index) was used to compare the discriminative performance of the original, IBI-based, CRP-based, NLR-based, and ALB-based GLIM criteria for survival. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between GLIM criteria and short-term outcomes, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization costs.

RESULTS

Compared to the original GLIM criteria, the IBI/CRP/NLR/ALB-based GLIM criteria better predicted the long-term outcomes of patients with cancer (chi-square: 1.316 vs. 78.321 vs. 74.740 vs. 88.719 vs. 100.921). The C-index revealed that the inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria showed significantly better prognostic accuracy than the original GLIM criteria. The ALB-based GLIM criteria exhibited the best prognostic accuracy. The inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria were independent predictive factors for the long-term prognosis of cancer. Patients with malnutrition had a 45% higher risk of adverse long-term prognoses than those without malnutrition. The inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria had good prognostic ability to predict outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months. The stepwise effect of the grading of severity via the IBI-based GLIM criteria and CRP-based GLIM criteria was notable. The inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria are useful for predicting short-term outcomes, length of hospitalization, and hospitalization costs.

CONCLUSION

The inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria have a stronger predictive value than the original GLIM criteria in evaluating both the short- and long-term prognoses of cancer patients. It is recommended to use the inflammation marker-based GLIM criteria for nutritional evaluation of cancer patients.

Current status of the association between malnutrition defined by the GLIM criteria and postoperative outcomes in gastrointestinal surgery for cancer: a narrative review

In 2018, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition consortium published global consensus diagnostic criteria for malnutrition and highlighted the association between malnutrition and poor postoperative outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. The aforementioned criteria consist of phenotypic and etiologic criteria to diagnose malnutrition in individuals who undergo conventional screening to determine the at-risk population. Recent studies have reported the usefulness of prediction of postoperative outcomes using body mass index, weight loss, and reduced muscle mass as phenotypic criteria. Reduced muscle mass is an essential diagnostic criterion for sarcopenia, which is associated with poor outcomes in patients with cancer. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria define reduced muscle mass as undernutrition. Malnutrition diagnosed based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria is an important risk factor for postoperative complications and also an independent poor prognostic factor for long-term outcomes; greater severity of malnutrition is associated with poorer outcomes. The current Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria for malnutrition accurately predict outcomes, including postoperative complications and long-term prognosis; however, a revision may be warranted to ensure consistency with the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia. Patients diagnosed with malnutrition based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria should be targeted for nutritional intervention. Further accumulation of evidence is necessary to conclusively establish the role of nutritional interventions in patients with malnutrition to improve postoperative complications and long-term outcomes.

Relationship between global leadership initiative on malnutrition (GLIM) defined malnutrition and survival, length of stay and post-operative complications in people with cancer: A systematic review

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The predictive validity of the GLIM criteria for survival, length of hospital stay (LOHS) and post-operative complications among people with cancer have not been systematically reviewed. This systematic review aims to determine whether GLIM malnutrition is predictive of these outcomes, and whether the predictive validity is affected by how phenotypic and etiologic criteria are assessed.

METHODS

Cohort studies published after 2018 were systematically reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines from Embase, Medline Complete and CINAHL Complete. Risk of bias and methodologic quality were assessed using the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Quality Criteria Checklist tool for Primary research.

RESULTS

In total, 21 studies were included, including 28,726 participants. All studies investigated survival, where 18 reported GLIM malnutrition is associated with decreased survival. LOHS was investigated in six studies, with all finding an association between GLIM malnutrition and longer LOHS. Post-operative complications were assessed in seven studies, of which five reported GLIM malnutrition was predictive of increased post-operative complications. Methods to assess the GLIM phenotypic and etiologic criteria varied, with consistent predictive ability for survival regardless of method of assessing reduced muscle mass. However, predictive ability was more variable across different measures of inflammation and reduced intake.

CONCLUSION

GLIM malnutrition was consistently predictive of worse clinical outcomes. Different measures of reduced muscle mass did not affect the predictive ability of GLIM for survival. However, variation in assessment of the etiologic criteria resulted in varying predictive ability of the GLIM diagnosis for survival.

The Prognostic Role of GLIM Criteria in Postoperative Outcomes after Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Oncologic patients often suffer from malnutrition, which might negatively affect treatment outcomes. Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-based malnutrition is associated with short- and long-term outcomes in cancer patients. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to determine the impact of GLIM-defined malnutrition on postoperative complications and survival in esophageal and gastric cancer patients. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies published until February 2022 that assessed the association between GLIM criteria and short- and long-term outcomes in esophageal and gastric cancer patients. We included seven observational studies reporting on a total of 3662 patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. GLIM-defined malnutrition was associated with increased overall complications (pooled HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.45-4.59, p = 0.001). Malnutrition was significantly associated with decreased overall survival (pooled HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.18-1.84, p = 0.003) as well as with decreased disease-free survival (pooled HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.36-2.33, p < 0.0001). GLIM-based malnutrition was associated with an increased risk for developing postoperative complications and impaired survival of esophageal and gastric cancer patients. Our findings support the use of GLIM criteria in clinical practice as a relatively simple and reliable tool for assessing the nutritional status of oncologic patients.

Impact of malnutrition as defined by the GLIM criteria on treatment outcomes in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Malnutrition has been reported to lead to poor postoperative outcomes. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria were published in 2019 as a global consensus on the criteria for diagnosing malnutrition. However, the relationship between GLIM-defined malnutrition and treatment outcomes in patients with cancer has not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the impact of GLIM-defined malnutrition on the treatment outcomes of patients with cancer.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Platform Search Portal, and ClinicalTrials.gov and identified observational studies published from inception to January 17, 2022. We conducted a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis studies that included patients with cancer aged >18 years who received any kind of treatment and whose nutritional status was assessed using GLIM criteria. We independently assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence using Quality In Prognosis Studies and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and postoperative complications. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for OS and relative risk ratios and 95% CIs for postoperative complications were pooled. The protocol was published by PROSPERO (CRD42022304004).

RESULTS

Of 67 studies after screening, ten studies (n = 11,700) reported the impact of GLIM-defined malnutrition on postoperative outcomes. Compared with no malnutrition, GLIM-defined malnutrition may worsen OS (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.38-1.75; I² = 37%) and increase postoperative complications (relative risk ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.28-2.60; I² = 87%). The risk of bias in each study was either moderate or high. The certainty of the evidence was low because of publication bias and a moderate or high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

GLIM-defined malnutrition may worsen OS and increase the risk of postoperative complications in patients with cancer undergoing treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and mitigate this risk.

Effects of body composition on early postoperative discharge and postoperative complications in patients with esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with esophageal cancer are prone to nutrition deterioration during the perioperative period and have a high incidence of postoperative complications, prolonging hospitalization. Decreased muscle mass is a known contributor to this deterioration, but there is insufficient evidence on the effects of preoperative maintenance and improvement of muscle mass. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between body composition, early postoperative discharge, and postoperative complications in patients with esophageal cancer.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into an early discharge group and a control group, who were discharged ≤21 days postoperatively and >21 days, respectively. The relationship of body composition to postoperative complications and discharge time in patients was evaluated via multivariate logistic regression using isotemporal substitution (IS) models.

RESULTS

The early discharge group comprised 31 of the 117 patients (26%) included. This group had significantly lower incidences of sarcopenia and postoperative complications than the control group. In logistic regression analyses estimating the effect of changes in body composition using the IS models, preoperative replacement of 1 kg of body fat with 1 kg of muscle mass was associated with significantly higher odds of early discharge (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03-1.59) and lower odds of postoperative complications (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.98).

CONCLUSION

In patients with esophageal cancer, a preoperative increase in muscle mass may reduce postoperative complications and hospital stay duration.

GLIM-defined malnutrition and overall survival in cancer patients: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) has been associated with cancer mortality, but the effect is limited and inconsistent. We performed this meta-analysis aiming to assess this relationship in patients with cancer.

METHODS

We systematically searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases from January 1, 2019, to July 1, 2022. Studies evaluating the prognostic effect of GLIM-defined malnutrition on cancer survival were included. A fixed-effect model was fitted to estimate the combined hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% CI. Heterogeneity of studies was analyzed using the I2 statistic. Quality assessment were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool.

RESULTS

The search strategy identified 4378 articles in all databases combined. Nine studies (8829 patients) meeting the inclusion criteria were included for quantitative analysis. Meta-analysis revealed significant associations between GLIM-defined pooled malnutrition (HR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.43-2.15), moderate malnutrition (HR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.29-1.62), and severe malnutrition (HR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.58-2.02) with all-cause mortality. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of these associations. The between-study heterogeneity was low (all I2  < 50%), and study quality assessed with NOS was high (all scores > 6). The evidence quality according to the GRADE tool was very low.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis suggests a significant negative association of malnutrition, as defined by the GLIM, with overall survival in patients with cancer. However, definitive conclusions cannot be made, owing to the low quality of the source data.

Comparison of laparoscopic and open radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with GLIM-defined malnutrition

PURPOSE

Malnutrition is common in the patients with gastric cancer. Radical gastrectomy remained the primary strategy of curable treatment for gastric cancer. This study is performed to explore the effect of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy on clinical outcomes in gastric cancer patients with malnutrition.

METHODS

Gastric cancer patients with GLIM-defined malnutrition between 2014 and 2019 at our center were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according to the different type of surgery. Propensity score match analysis was used to balance the clinicopathologic characteristics of two groups. Postoperative outcomes and survival were compared. Multivariate analysis was used to independent risk factors of complication, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Compared with patients underwent open radical gastrectomy, patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy had lower rate of total, surgical and severe complications. They also had shorter postoperative hospital stay with better OS and DFS. Hypoalbuminemia (P = 0.003) was the independent risk factor of complications. Old age (≥75, P = 0.035) and TNM stage (III: P < 0.001, II: P = 0.015) were the independent risk factors of OS. Combined resection (P = 0.003) and TNM stage (III: P < 0.001, II: P = 0.001) posed independent risk factors of lacking DFS. Laparoscopic surgery proved to be the independent protective factor of complications (P = 0.014), OS (P < 0.001) and DFS (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic radical gastrectomy was relative safe and showed favorable outcomes in malnourished gastric cancer patients.

Comparison of the adequacy of geriatric nutritional risk index with that of the mini nutritional assessment-short form and global leadership initiative on malnutrition criteria in assessing nutritional status to predict the 1-year prognosis of hospitalized Japanese older adults: a single-institutional cohort study

BACKGROUND

The global leadership initiative on malnutrition (GLIM) proposed the first international standards (GLIM criteria) for malnutrition diagnosis. Early screening using nutritional tools is recommended to improve the prognosis of older patients. The association between Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA^Ⓡ-SF) and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and prognosis has been reported, but there is insufficient evidence to develop the GLIM criteria for older inpatients. We aimed to evaluate the MNA^Ⓡ-SF, GNRI, and GLIM criteria to determine their contribution to the prognosis prediction of hospitalized older patients at 1 year after discharge.

METHODS

This study included 386 patients hospitalized between September 2014 and October 2015, and May and December 2019. After excluding 17 patients who died at the time of initial hospitalization, 23 who were lost to follow-up after 1 year, and 28 who had missing data on admission, only 318 were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome was death within 1 year after discharge, assessed using the MNA®-SF, GNRI, and GLIM criteria, and survival analysis was conducted. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to identify the nutritional assessment tools that contributed to the prognosis prediction.

RESULTS

A total of 43 patients died within 1 year. Of them, 58.1% had malnutrition and 37.2% were at risk of malnutrition, assessed using the MNA^Ⓡ-SF; 27.9% had severely malnourished assessed using the GNRI; and 58.1% had severely malnourished assessed using the GLIM criteria. The proportions of malnourished and severely malnourished patients were significantly higher in the mortality group than in the survival group. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed hazard ratios of 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24-4.71) for at risk and 2.17 (95% CI: 0.48-9.84) for malnutrition (MNA^Ⓡ-SF); 5.68 (95% CI: 2.74-11.80) for moderately malnourished and 7.69 (95% CI: 3.13-18.91) for severely malnourished (GNRI); and 1.47 (95% CI: 0.48-4.50) for moderately malnourished and 2.45 (95% CI: 1.22-4.93) for severely malnourished (GLIM criteria); GNRI had the most significant contribution to prognosis prediction.

CONCLUSIONS

GNRI significantly contributed to the prognosis prediction 1 year after hospital discharge of older patients.

Malnutrition diagnosed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria predicting survival and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

Recently, some cohorts have looked into the use of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria in cancer patients. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to determine its utility in predicting clinical and survival outcomes for cancer patients.

Method

Searching and screening literature from PubMed, Web of Science and Embase until September 13, 2022 was performed by two researchers independently. According to the exclusion and inclusion criteria, articles reporting the impact of malnutrition diagnosed by GLIM on long-term survival and clinical outcomes were included. Data of interest were also extracted from the included papers. The stability of the pooled results was evaluated using sensitivity analysis. With the aid of subgroup analysis, heterogeneity was revealed. To assess publication bias, Egger's and Begg's tests were conducted. The influence of publication bias on the pooling risk estimate was examined using a trim-and-fill analysis.

Results

15 studies that qualified for our study were identified. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) from both multivariate and univariate regression analysis showed a worse overall survival in GLIM-defined malnourished cancer patients than those in well-nourished status. Meanwhile, disease-free survival was also poorer in malnourished patients. Moreover, pooled odds ratio (OR) demonstrated that malnourished cancer patients were more likely to develop overall postoperative complications, complications ≥ Clavien-Dindo grade IIa and complications ≥ Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa. Two articles reported negative relation between GLIM-defined malnutrition and 30-day readmission/mortality.

Conclusion

GLIM-defined malnutrition possesses value in predicting poorer survival and clinical outcomes for cancer patients.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=321094], identifier [CRD42022321094].

Mid-Arm Muscle Circumference or Body Weight-Standardized Hand Grip Strength in the GLIM Superiorly Predicts Survival in Chinese Colorectal Cancer Patients

Our objective was to identify the optimal method to assess reduced muscle mass (RMM) using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) approach and investigate the roles of the GLIM approach in nutrition assessment and survival prediction in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. During a median follow-up period of 4.2 (4.0, 4.4) years, a development cohort of 3612 CRC patients with a mean age of 64.09 ± 12.45 years was observed, as well as an external validation cohort of 875 CRC patients. Kaplan−Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression were adopted to analyze the association between GLIM-diagnosed malnutrition and the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients. A nomogram predicting individualized survival was constructed based on independent prognostic predictors. The concordance index, calibration curve, and decision curve were applied to appraise the discrimination, accuracy, and clinical efficacy of the nomogram, respectively. Patients diagnosed with severe malnutrition based on either the mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) or body weight-standardized hand grip strength (HGS/W) method had the highest mortality hazard ratio (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.34−1.70; p < 0.001). GLIM-defined malnutrition was diagnosed in 47.6% of patients. Severe malnutrition was an independent mortality risk factor for OS (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.10−1.42; p < 0.001). The GLIM nomogram showed good performance in predicting the survival of CRC patients and was clinically beneficial. Our findings support the effectiveness of GLIM in diagnosing malnutrition and predicting OS in CRC patients.

Impact of disease burden or inflammation on nutritional assessment by the GLIM criteria in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In 2018, the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) released a global standard for evaluating malnutrition. The etiologies of malnutrition in the GLIM criteria includes disease burden/inflammation, but how this view affects nutritional assessment remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of disease burden/inflammation on the proportion of malnourished patients defined by GLIM criteria, and how differences in methods for determining disease burden/inflammation in GLIM criteria affect existing nutritional indices among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also investigated factors associated with malnutrition in RA patients.

METHODS

Data from 135 female RA patients (66.8 ± 12.6 years) were cross-sectionally analyzed. Among the etiologies of malnutrition, disease burden/inflammation was defined as: (1) moderate or higher disease activity score (disease activity score composite of the 28-joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR] ≥ 3.2) [DAS-malnutrition (MN)]; (2) elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥0.5 mg/dL (CRP-MN); and (3) presence of RA (RA-MN). In each of the three conditions, nutritional indicators between well-nourished and malnourished groups were compared by analysis of covariance. Factors associated with malnutrition were analyzed with logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The frequencies of malnutrition as defined by DAS-MN, CRP-MN, and RA-MN were 39%, 30%, and 71%, respectively. When malnutrition was defined by the DAS-MN and/or the CRP-MN, grip strength and serum ceruloplasmin, iron, and zinc levels showed significant differences between the well-nourished and malnourished groups (p < 0.05). The use of targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (ts-/b-DMARD) (OR = 0.29; 95% CI 0.11-0.82), grip strength (OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.75-0.91), subjective reduction in walking speed (OR = 5.24; 1.85-14.86) were significantly associated with malnutrition as determined by DAS-MN.

CONCLUSION

Differences in disease burden/inflammation affect nutritional assessments. The number of malnourished patients with RA was negatively associated with the use of ts-/b-DMARDs and high physical function in women.

Diagnosis of Malnutrition According to GLIM Criteria Predicts Complications and 6-Month Survival in Cancer Outpatients

Background and Aims: Malnutrition is a condition that has a great impact on oncology patients. Poor nutritional status is often associated with increased morbidity and mortality, increased toxicity, and reduced tolerance to chemotherapy, among other complications. The recently developed GLIM criteria for malnutrition aim to homogenize its diagnosis, considering the baseline disease status. We aimed to evaluate the performance of these new criteria for the prediction of complications and mortality in patients with cancer. Methods: This work is a prospective, single-center study. All outpatients under active treatment for head and neck, upper gastrointestinal, and colorectal tumors between February and October 2020 were recruited. These patients were followed up for 6 months, assessing the occurrence of complications and survival based on GLIM diagnoses of malnutrition. Results: We enrolled 165 outpatients, 46.66% of whom were malnourished. During the 6-month follow-ups, patients with malnutrition (46.7%, according to GLIM criteria) had a ~3-fold increased risk of hospital admission (p < 0.001) and occurrence of severe infection (considered as those requiring hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics, and/or drainage by interventional procedures) (p = 0.002). Similarly, malnourished patients had a 3.5-fold increased risk of poor pain control and a 4.4-fold increased need for higher doses of opioids (both p < 0.001). They also had a 2.6-fold increased risk of toxicity (p = 0.044) and a 2.5-fold increased likelihood of needing a dose decrease or discontinuation of cancer treatment (p = 0.011). The 6-month survival of malnourished patients was significantly lower (p = 0.023) than in non-malnourished patients. Conclusions: Diagnoses of malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria in oncology patients undergoing active treatment predict increased complications and worse survival at 6-month follow-ups, making them a useful tool for assessing the nutritional status of oncology patients.

Combining the systemic inflammation response index and prognostic nutritional index to predict the prognosis of locally advanced elderly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) have been shown to be correlated with the prognosis of various solid tumors. This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of the SIRI and the PNI individually and in combination in locally advanced elderly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with radical radiotherapy.

METHODS

The data of 192 ESCC patients aged ≥65 years, who had been treated with definitive radiotherapy between 2013 and 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cutoff values of SIRI and PNI were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the effect of the SIRI and PNI on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The areas under the curve were measured to evaluate the predictive ability of the SIRI, PNI, and SIRI combined with PNI for OS.

RESULTS

The optimal cutoff values of the pretreatment SIRI and PNI were 1.03 and 49.60, respectively. The univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that T stage (P=0.021), TNM stage (P=0.022), synchronous chemotherapy (P=0.032), the SIRI (P=0.001), and the PNI (P=0.045) were independent prognostic factors for OS and N stage (P=0.004), synchronous chemotherapy (P=0.016) and the SIRI (P=0.004) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The AUC of the combined SIRI and PNI (0.706; 0.612-0.801) was higher than those of the SIRI (0.648; 0.540-0.756) and the PNI (0.621; 0.523-0.720). Patients in the low-SIRI and high-PNI groups, especially those in clinical stage II or who received synchronous chemotherapy (P<0.001, P=0.002), had better OS and PFS than those in the other groups (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The SIRI and PNI are simple and reliable biomarkers for predicting long-term survival in elderly patients with locally advanced ESCC after radical radiotherapy. A high SIRI and a low PNI indicated poor prognosis, and the combination of the SIRI and PNI improved the accuracy of prognosis prediction and could be used to guide individualized treatment of patients.