title: Disease-related malnutrition in outpatients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Disease-related malnutrition is known to negatively affect clinical outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition in a cohort of outpatients affected by Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and its association with clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty SSc patients were consecutively evaluated. The following clinical variables were assessed: disease duration, activity and severity, treatments, functional status, gastrointestinal involvement. Nutritional assessment included: body mass index (BMI), weight loss (WL) history, nutritional intakes and serum prealbumin. Malnutrition was defined as BMI <20 kg/m² and/or previous 6-month WL ≥ 10%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of malnutrition was 15% (10-21%). Logistic regression showed that malnutrition was independently associated with disease activity (OR 3.72; p < 0.001) and low serum prealbumin (OR 8.58; p < 0.001). The association with gastrointestinal involvement was not statistically significant, although a trend was detected (OR 1.88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malnutrition is common in SSc outpatients. It appears associated with disease activity and not influenced by nutritional intakes; gastrointestinal involvement might contribute to its development over time. Serum prealbumin could be an early marker of malnutrition in SSc, whose role should be confirmed by further longitudinal investigations. Prospective studies are also required to clarify the clinical significance of the association between malnutrition and disease activity in SSc.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Piazzale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy. caporali@smatteo.pv.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caporali
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caccialanza
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonino
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klersy
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cereda
authors.forename: Blerina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xoxi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rava
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonardi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cameletti
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Codullo
authors.forename: Carlomaurizio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montecucco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010045:Outpatients; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin