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Protein, malnutrition and wasting disorders

Malnutrition risk is associated with hypoglycemia among general population admitted to internal medicine units. Results from the MENU study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 888–893 (2018)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

To examine the association between increased malnutrition risk upon admission, and the incidence of hypoglycemia among adult patients admitted to internal medicine units in Israel.

Subjects/methods

This was a cross-sectional study, and included were all adult patients admitted to internal medicine units, regardless of reason for admission. The NRS2002 was used to for nutritional screening. All glucose measurements were obtained using an institutional blood glucose-monitoring system, which consisted of a point of care, automated glucometer, and an interactive database. Patients were categorized as hypoglycemic if they had at least one documented hypoglycemia (= <70 mg/dL) event during the hospitalization period. Blood chemistry measured at admission was also recorded.

Results

Included were 876 patients (mean age 70.0 ± 17.3, 50.6% were males). Rate of positive malnutrition screen was 39.7% of the population. A total of 5.4% of the study population had at least one hypoglycemic event during hospitalization. Rate of diabetes mellitus did not differ between patients with or without hypoglycemia. A greater proportion of patients with hypoglycemia were at increased malnutrition risk compared to patients without documented hypoglycemic events (56.8% vs. 38.9%, p = 0.018). Patients who had hypoglycemia had higher NRS2002 scores for pre-hospitalization unintentional weight loss and reduced food consumed. In logistic regression analysis, increased malnutrition risk was associated with hypoglycemia occurrence (OR 1.982, 95% confidence interval 1.056–3.718, p = 0.033). Age, sex, and diabetes mellitus status did not affect the rate of hypoglycemia.

Conclusions

Our data suggest increased malnutrition risk as measured by the NRS2002 almost doubled the risk for hypoglycemia during the hospitalization.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Sami Giryes, Meital Ditch, Noa Felner Burg.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine “A”, Yoseftal Hospital, Eilat, Israel

    Eyal Leibovitz

  2. The Department of Internal Medicine F, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel

    Henriett Adler & Noa Felner Burg

  3. The Department of Internal Medicine B, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Sami Giryes

  4. The Department of Internal Medicine A, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel

    Meital Ditch

  5. The Department of Nutrition Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

    Mona Boaz

Authors
  1. Eyal Leibovitz
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  2. Henriett Adler
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  3. Sami Giryes
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  4. Meital Ditch
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  5. Noa Felner Burg
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  6. Mona Boaz
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Correspondence to Eyal Leibovitz.

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Conflict of interest

EL and MB have been the recipients of a research grant from Abbott nutrition Israel. HA, SG, MD, and NFB have no conflict of interests.

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Leibovitz, E., Adler, H., Giryes, S. et al. Malnutrition risk is associated with hypoglycemia among general population admitted to internal medicine units. Results from the MENU study. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 888–893 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0143-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0143-9

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