Evaluation of improved nutritional status in patients over 60 years with 6-month follow-up by a nutritionist in a hospital setting in Almería. The MOR-NUT study

Abstract

Background: non-institutionalized elderly patients who are prescribed an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) often have difficulties with compliance, which leads to physical deterioration and increases the risk of malnutrition. Objective: to assess improvement in the nutritional status of patients over 60 years of age, using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score after the intervention of a nutritionist during a 6-month follow-up of malnourished patients with an indication for ONS. To demonstrate that the intervention of a nutritionist provides long-term improvements in the nutritional status of malnourished patients who are taking an ONS. Results: the nutritional intervention significantly improved BMI (from 22.9 ± 4.5 to 24.0 ± 4.1; p = 0.001) and the MNA score (from 14.7 ± 4.4 to 20.4 ± 5.8; p < 0.001) of the patients, as well as their perception of health (measured by VAS). Conclusions: the nutritional advice provided by a nutritionist to patients who were taking an ONS provided a high rate of adherence to treatment, which resulted in improvement in the nutritional status of patients.