Publication date: Oct 01, 2023

To determine whether the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) on hospital admission was associated to an increased 14-day and 12-month mortality-risk in older inpatients with COVID-19. Cohort study of consecutive inpatients admitted with COVID-19 in a university hospital (20/03/2020-11/05/2021). age over 65 years and positive polymerase chain reaction test. missing data for weight, height, and/or albumin, hospital-acquired COVID-19, or patients transferred to other health facilities. all-cause mortality at 14-day and 12-month follow-up. GNRI [1. 489 cD7 albumin (g/L)] + [41. 7 (weight/ideal body weight)] was assessed at admission; scores ≤98 indicated risk of malnutrition. Cox-proportional hazards models assessed the association between the admission GNRI and 14-day and 12-month mortality-risk, after adjusting by demographic and clinical variables, including inflammation (C-reactive protein). Of the 570 eligible patients, 224 (mean age 78 years; 52. 2% women) met inclusion criteria and 151 (67. 4%) were classified at risk of malnutrition. Twenty patients died during the 14-day and 42 during the 12-month follow-up. The risk of 14-day mortality was nearly 10 times higher in patients with GNRI scores ≤98 (HR = 9. 6 [95%CI 1. 3-71. 6], P = 0. 028); this association was marginally significant in the adjusted model (HR = 6. 73 [95%CI 0. 89-51. 11], P = 0. 065)]. No association between GNRI and the 12-month mortality-risk was found. The GNRI may play a role in the short-term prognosis of older inpatients with COVID-19. Further studies are required to confirm the short-term predictive validity of the GNRI within this population (Clinicaltrials. gov_NCT05276752).

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