Abstract
Background: The Mini Nutritional Assessment® (MNA) has not been studied extensively in COPD patients.
Objectives: We evaluated whether COPD patients with impaired health status as determined by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) have poor nutritional status according to the MNA.
Methods: We recruited clinically stable male COPD outpatients (age, ≤65 years) for a cross-sectional study. We conducted the following examinations: pulmonary function tests, nutritional assessment using the MNA questionnaire (high scores indicate good nutritional status), the CAT, and dyspnoea evaluation. The patients were divided into 2 groups: (A) those with CAT scores ≥10 and (B) those with CAT scores <10. We also calculated 4 scores exploring the domains of the nutritional status from the MNA questionnaire: anthropometric, general, dietary, and subjective scores.
Results: The study included 68 patients (mean age, 75.4 years). The total score was significantly correlated with FEV1% predicted, BMI, the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea score, and the CAT score (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.298, p = 0.013; ρ = 0.701, p < 0.0005; ρ = −0.373, p = 0.002; and ρ = −0.363, p = 0.002; respectively). Group (A) (n = 47) had significantly lower total, general, dietary, and subjective scores than group (B) (n = 21) (p = 0.003, p = 0.029, p = 0.045, and p = 0.014, respectively, Mann-Whitney U-test).
Conclusions: The nutritional status as determined by the MNA was associated with pulmonary function, dyspnoea, and the COPD-related health status. In addition, the nutritional status as determined by the MNA was significantly lower in COPD patients with CAT scores ≥10 than in those with CAT scores <10.
- © 2012 ERS