Differences in Nutritional Status and Activities of Daily Living and Mobility in Elderly Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure

Aims This study aims to examine the effect of differences in nutritional status on activities of daily living (ADL) and mobility recovery of hospitalized elderly patients with heart failure (HF). Methods and results From among 377 consecutive HF patients who underwent rehabilitation at one acute-care hospital from January 2013 to August 2015, those who were aged ≥ 65 years could walk with assistance before hospitalization and who were hospitalized for the first time were included in this retrospective cohort study. Exclusion criteria were pacemaker surgery during hospitalization, change to other departments, death during hospitalization, and unmeasured ADL. We investigated patient characteristics, basic attributes, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), ADL [motor Functional Independence Measure (motor FIM)], and Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). Of these 377 patients, 96 met the inclusion criteria and were divided into the low GNRI group (n = 38, 83.5 ± 8.3 years, 44.7% male) and high GNRI group (n = 58, 81.0 ± 6.6 years, 55.2%). Patient characteristics and the difference between motor ADL and motility recovery and nutrition data were analysed with unpaired t-test, χ2 test, and two-way analysis of covariance. In comparing the two groups, the following parameters were significantly lower in the low GNRI group than in the high GNRI group: body mass index (18.7 ± 2.2 vs. 23.2 ± 2.7 kg/m2, P < 0.01), albumin (3.4 ± 0.4 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4 g/dL, P < 0.01), diabetes mellitus ratio (21.1% vs. 50.0%, P < 0.01), RMI at discharge (6.8 ± 2.6 vs. 8.2 ± 2.2, P = 0.01), and motor FIM at discharge (67.2 ± 19.5 vs. 75.6 ± 13.3, P = 0.02). RMI showed a significant group and term main effect and interaction effect (P < 0.05). Motor FIM showed a significant main effect of group and term (P < 0.05), and no significant interaction effect. Conclusions Low nutritional status in hospitalized elderly HF patients affected their recovery of mobility but did not appear to affect the recovery of ADL.