Prognostic Role of Malnutrition Diagnosed by Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis in Older Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Prospective Study

Background: Little is known on the clinical relevance of the nutritional status and body composition of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and to evaluate the relationship of their nutritional status with the severity and outcome of disease. Methods: Among 150 consecutive patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia, 37 (24.3%) were classified as malnourished by BIVA, and were followed-up for 60 days from admission. Outcome measures were differences in the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, in-hospital mortality, and the duration of hospital stay in survivors. Results: During 60 days of follow-up, 10 (27%) malnourished patients and 13 (12%) non-malnourished patients required invasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.023), and 13 (35%) malnourished patients and 9 (8%) non-malnourished patients died (p < 0.001). The average duration of the hospital stay in survivors was longer in patients with malnutrition (18.2 ± 15.7 vs. 13.2 ± 14.8 days, p < 0.001). In survival analyses, mechanical ventilation free (log-rank 7.887, p = 0.050) and overall (log-rank 17.886, p < 0.001) survival were significantly longer in non-malnourished than malnourished patients. The Cox proportional ratio showed that malnutrition was associated with an increased risk of mechanical ventilation (HR 4.375, p = 0.004) and death (HR 4.478, p = 0.004) after adjusting for major confounders such as age, sex, and BMI. Conclusions: Malnutrition diagnosed with BIVA was associated with worse outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.