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Protein, malnutrition and wasting disorders

The impact of malnutrition on quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 504–510 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its impact on their quality of life (QoL).

Subjects/methods

One hundred and twenty-nine patients with SSc underwent clinical evaluation and were screened with the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). Malnutrition was defined as MUST score ≥2.To investigate QoL, all patients completed the Short Form 36 Questionnaire and the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire. The data were analyzed with IBM SPSS® Statistics by using χ2/Fisher's test, Mann–Whitney U test, correlation, and linear regression analysis.

Results

One hundred and twenty-nine patients were included in this study (mean age was 59.1 ± 13.8 years, 90.7% women). The prevalence of malnutrition was 10.9%. Age and disease duration were not significantly different between malnourished and well-nourished patients. All QoL scores (except bodily pain and self-reported health) were significantly impaired in malnourished patients. Furthermore, the Scleroderma Health Assessment Score score which assesses disease-specific QoL was significantly higher in the malnourished patients (1.6 ± 0.73 compared to 0.91 ± 0.61 in well-nourished patients; p = 0.001), reflecting a lower QoL due to disease-specific impairments.

Conclusions

Severe malnutrition in SSc patients is associated with reduced QoL. Standardized nutritional screening should routinely be conducted to identify the risk of malnutrition in order to enable an intervention with multimodal treatment and avoid the serious consequences associated with severe malnutrition.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Emelina Preis and Kristina Franz.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Rheumatologie und klinische Immunologie, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Emelina Preis, Elise Siegert, Alexander Makowka & Christine March

  2. Charité Forschungsgruppe Geriatrie, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Kristina Franz & Kristina Norman

  3. Klinik für Rheumatologie und klinische Immunologie, Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Lübeck, Germany

    Gabriela Riemekasten

  4. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    Emanuele Cereda

  5. Department of Nutrition and Gerontology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Nuthetal, Germany

    Kristina Norman

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  1. Emelina Preis
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Correspondence to Kristina Norman.

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Preis, E., Franz, K., Siegert, E. et al. The impact of malnutrition on quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 504–510 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0116-z

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