title: Prognostic importance of weight change on short-term functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Controversy exists regarding the question of whether weight change decreases or increases the risk of mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of weight change on short-term outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 654 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled in this study from March 2010 to May 2013. We assessed the weight change of each participant between admission and discharge from the Department of Neurology. Weight change was defined as change ≥0·05 kg/baseline body mass index unit. We evaluated the short-term outcomes using a modified Rankin Scale at three-months after the onset of a stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 654 patients, 35·2% were included in the weight-change group. Weight loss occurred in 24·6% of the participants during the hospital stay following the stroke, which lasted an average of nine-days. Compared with the weight-stable group, the pronounced weight-loss group had a higher risk of unfavorable outcomes (odds ratio 2·43; 95% confidence interval 1·12-5·25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term weight loss after stroke appears to be more common than we expected, and our results suggest that it is associated with unfavorable functional outcomes. Therefore, clinical nutrition should be considered as a component of medical treatment and weight loss should be monitored as an indicator of malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yerim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chi Kyung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seunguk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Bae
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Woo
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: body mass index; cerebral infarction; ischemic stroke; outcome; stroke