Table 2.
Nutritional characteristics (N = 1030)
| Features | Total (N = 1030) | No cachexia a (N = 496) | With cachexia a (N = 534) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | N | % | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | ||||||
| <20 | 132 | 12.8 | 20 | 4.0 | 112 | 21.0 |
| 20–24.9 | 429 | 41.7 | 179 | 36.1 | 250 | 46.9 |
| 25–29.9 | 307 | 29.8 | 197 | 39.7 | 110 | 20.6 |
| ≥30 | 161 | 15.6 | 100 | 20.2 | 61 | 11.4 |
| Weight loss within previous 6 months | ||||||
| Minimal (≤5%) | 549 | 53.3 | 496 | 100.0 | 53 | 9.9 |
| Moderate (>5% to <10%) | 213 | 20.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 213 | 39.9 |
| Severe (≥10%) | 268 | 26.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 268 | 50.2 |
| Sarcopenia, SARC‐F score ≥ 4 | 389 | 37.8 | 112 | 22.6 | 277 | 51.9 |
| Upper arm circumference (missing data n = 42) | ||||||
| <21 cm | 66 | 6.7 | 11 | 2.3 | 55 | 10.8 |
| 21–22 cm | 120 | 12.1 | 41 | 8.5 | 79 | 15.6 |
| >22 cm | 802 | 81.2 | 429 | 89.2 | 373 | 73.6 |
| Poor dental health status (missing data n = 17) | 221 | 21.8 | 91 | 18.6 | 130 | 24.8 |
| Low food intake (≤2/3 of last meal) (missing data n = 17) | 236 | 23.3 | 46 | 9.4 | 190 | 36.3 |
| Dysgueusia (missing data n = 16) | 127 | 12.5 | 44 | 9.0 | 83 | 15.8 |
| Low serum albumin (<35 g/L) (missing n = 325) | 280 | 39.7 | 85 | 26.6 | 195 | 50.6 |
| High serum CRP (≥10 mg/L) (missing data n = 391) | 338 | 52.9 | 109 | 38.9 | 229 | 63.8 |
| Nutritional support (missing data n = 20) | 393 | 38.9 | 98 | 20.3 | 295 | 55.9 |
| Fortified diet | 204 | 51.9 | 53 | 54.1 | 151 | 51.2 |
| Oral nutritional supplements | 323 | 82.2 | 77 | 78.6 | 246 | 83.4 |
| Enteral nutrition | 18 | 4.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 18 | 6.1 |
| Parenteral nutrition | 17 | 4.3 | 3 | 3.1 | 14 | 4.7 |
BMI, body mass index; CRP, C‐reactive protein; SARC‐F, Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from chair, Climb stairs and Falls score.
a
Cachexia was defined as the presence of one or more of the following criteria: weight loss >5% over the previous 6 months; or BMI < 20 kg/m2 and weight loss >2%; or abnormal SARC‐F score (≥4/10) and weight loss >2%.