Inadequate nutritional intake for daily life activity of clinically stable patients with chronic heart failure.
We investigated the nutritional adequacy and energy availability in 57 normal-weight patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and 49 matched healthy sedentary subjects. We found that the chronic HF patients had a higher total energy expenditure (1,700 +/- 53 vs 1,950 +/- 43 kcal/day; p <0.01), a negative calorie balance (104 +/- 35 vs -186 +/- 40 kcal/day; p <0.01), a negative nitrogen balance (2.2 +/- 0.5 vs -1.7 +/- 0.4 g/day; p <0.01), and a hypercatabolic hormonal status (cortisol/insulin ratio 32 +/- 1.7 vs 65 +/- 5.1; p <0.01). We conclude that patients with chronic HF had an inadequate calorie intake to support energetic needs for daily activities, with consequent important protein breakdown that causes muscular wasting.
Pasini
Evasio
E
Service of Metabolic and Nutritional Pathophysiology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Medical Center of Montescano, Pavia, Italy.
Opasich
Cristina
C
Pastoris
Ornella
O
Aquilani
Roberto
R
D002100:Cachexia / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015930:Diet Records; D004435:Eating; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006333:Heart Failure; D006801:Humans; D009751:Nutritional Requirements