Background: The nutritional status of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a problem with serious consequences and in many cases underdiagnosed. Objectives: To describe the prevalence of malnutrition according to GLIM criteria in a series of patients with SSc and their associated risk factors. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants: consecutive recruitment of patients with SSc (ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria) followed in our unit. The follow-up of these patients is carried out every 3 to 6 months in consultation and all patients were registered in a database. 90% of the patients accepted and signed the consent, the rest refused due to travel or work difficulties. Variables: The main variable was malnutrition, defined according to GLIM criteria as moderate malnutrition or severe malnutrition according to phenotypic and etiological criteria. The risk factors for malnutrition evaluated were: malnutrition according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) (continuous: 0-14, with 14 considering best nutritional status), dysphagia according to the EAT questionnaire ≥3, Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract 2.0 (UCLA) continuous: 0-2.83 considering 0 without gastrointestinal involvement and 2.83 severe gastrointestinal involvement), sarcopenia defined according to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria, prealbumin, polypharmacy (if taking >3 drugs), quality of life according to EQ-5D and Steinbrocker functional status. Statistical analysis: descriptive, bivariate and multivariate to evaluate the factors associated with malnutrition by GLIM. Results: 75 patients were included, of which 73 (97.4%) were women, and with a mean (SD) age of 59.4 (10.5) years. A total of 11/75 (14.3%) patients presented severe malnutrition, 34/75 (44.2%) patients moderate malnutrition and 32/75 (41.6%) patients showed no signs of malnutrition according to the criteria GLIM. Patients with severe malnutrition, compared to those with moderate malnutrition and those without malnutrition, more frequently had arthritis (36.4% vs 17.6% vs 2.6%; p=0.054), COPD (27.3% vs 8.8% vs 0%; p=0.014), sarcopenia (54.5% vs 23.5% vs 1.2%; p<0.001) and severe sarcopenia (27.3% vs 8.8% vs 0%; p=0.014). Likewise, patients with severe malnutrition compared to patients with moderate malnutrition and normal nutrition had significantly higher mean (SD) values on the Rodnan scale (14[9.1] vs 9.2[3.2} vs 6.9 [7.3]; p = 0.044); as well as lower mean (SD) values of MNA (20.2[3.8] vs 23.4[3.6] vs 25.8[2.6]; p<0.001) and BMI (23.4 [5.8] vs 24.1[3.3] vs 27.8[4.1]; p<0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the factors that were associated with moderate or severe malnutrition in patients with SSc were sarcopenia (OR [95% CI], 2.76 [1.75-14.53]; p= 0.014) and BMI (OR [95% CI], 0.80 [0.69-0.93]; p=0.003) (R2=0.259). Conclusion: Malnutrition is a common problem in patients with systemic sclerosis. If not diagnosed and treated, it can cause secondary sarcopenia with serious consequences for the person's functionality and independence. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.
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