title: Nutrition impact symptoms, handgrip strength and nutritional risk in hospitalized patients with gastroenterological and liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Malnutrition is common among patients with diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Nutritional intake may be negatively affected by nutrition impact symptoms (NIS). Therefore, the aims were to assess: 1) the prevalence of NIS in this group of patients and 2) the relationship between NIS and nutritional status as well as nutritional risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional study among patients with liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer or pancreatitis. Nutritional risk was assessed by the NRS-2002. Nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and handgrip strength (HGS), which were both measured within 5 days after admission. NIS were assessed by the Eating Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) and the Disease-Related Appetite Questionnaire (DRAQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 126 patients were included (women 39%) with a mean BMI of 24 ± 5 kg/m(2). The prevalence of low HGS was 38%, and the prevalence of those at nutritional risk was 58%. The number of NIS reported by 50% of the patients were 4 or more in the ESQ and 5 or more in the DRAQ. Patients who were both at nutritional risk and had a low HGS more frequently reported difficulties swallowing, poor appetite, feeling full after having one-fourth of the meal and food tasting bad.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NIS that preclude food intake are very frequent among patients with diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Specific NIS are associated with low HGS, weight loss and being at nutritional risk.
authors: Gastrounit, Medical Division, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre , Hvidovre , Denmark.
authors: Anne Wilkens
authors: AW
authors: Knudsen
authors: Astrid
authors: A
authors: Naver
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Bisgaard
authors: Inge
authors: I
authors: Nordgaard-Lassen
authors: Ulrik
authors: U
authors: Becker
authors: Aleksander
authors: A
authors: Krag
authors: Frode
authors: F
authors: Slinde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001066:Appetite; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: appetite; gastrointestinal cancer; inflammatory bowel disease; liver disease; pancreatitis; stomachache