title: The new ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition predict overall survival in hospitalised patients.
abstract: In 2015 the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) presented new consensus criteria for the diagnosis of malnutrition. Whereas most previous definitions were based on involuntary weight loss and/or a low BMI, the ESPEN definition added Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI) to the set of criteria.
  
  
  
  To study the predictive value of the new ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition on survival, with specific focus on the additional value of FFMI.
  
  
  
  Included were 335 hospitalized adult patients of the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam (60% female, age 58 ± 18 y). Three sets of criteria for malnutrition were used to study the predictive value for survival: Dutch definition for malnutrition, ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition and ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition without FFMI criterion. The association between malnutrition and three-months and one-year overall survival was analyzed by log rank tests and Cox regression. In multivariate analyses, adjustments were made for gender, age, care complexity and length of stay.
  
  
  
  Ninety patients (27%) were classified as malnourished by any of the sets of criteria; malnourished patients had significant lower survival rates than non-malnourished patients at three months (84% vs 94%; p = 0.01) and one year (76% vs 87%; p = 0.02). After adjustments, malnutrition remained significantly associated with three-months survival for the Dutch definition for malnutrition (HR:2.25, p = 0.04) and the ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition (HR:2.76, p = 0.02). Malnutrition remained significantly associated with one-year survival for the ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition (HR:2.17, p < 0.02) and the ESPEN diagnostic criteria for malnutrition without FFMI (HR:2.66, p < 0.01).
  
  
  
  The new ESPEN definition for malnutrition is predictive for both three-months and one-year survival in a general hospital population, whereas definitions without FFMI are predictive for either three-months or one year survival.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Dietetics/Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A L M A
authors.initials: ALMA
authors.lastname: Rondel
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Dietetics/Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Faculty of Health, Nutrition and Sport, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A E
authors.initials: JAE
authors.lastname: Langius
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Dietetics/Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Nutrition, Sports and Health, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A E
authors.initials: MAE
authors.lastname: de van der Schueren
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Dietetics/Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dutch Malnutrition Steering Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kruizenga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
keywords: ESPEN diagnostic criteria; Mortality; Predictive value; Survival; Undernutrition