Association of dietary energy and protein intake with frailty among patients with cirrhosis and implications for nursing practice.
Guangju Li, Yaqi Wang, Kunli Wang and 1 others
PMID 41938001WHAT IT FOUND
Higher energy, protein, and animal-protein intake were linked to lower frailty in patients with cirrhosis.
Thresholds were 30 kcal/(kg·d) energy and 0.83 g/(kg·d) protein. This is association only, not proof diet prevents frailty.
Key findings
01In adjusted analyses, higher energy intake was associated with lower frailty (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.00, P = 0.044).
02In adjusted analyses, higher total protein intake, animal protein intake, and animal-to-plant protein ratio were associated with lower frailty, while plant protein intake was not significant.
03Thresholds for separating non-frail from frail patients were 30 kcal/(kg·d) energy, 0.83 g/(kg·d) protein, and 0.34 animal-to-plant protein ratio.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study measured diet and frailty at one time point, so it cannot show that higher energy or protein intake caused lower frailty. Diet was based on self-reported usual intake over the past year, so memory errors and social desirability bias could affect the estimates. The sample was convenience-based and came from one hospital in Shandong, China, so the findings may not apply to other regions, hospitals, or patient groups. Patients with severe organ dysfunction or cancer were excluded, so the results may not apply to more advanced or complex cirrhosis. The energy threshold had low specificity, so it may label many non-frail patients as frail.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing energy or animal protein intake will reduce frailty. The study was cross-sectional, so it showed associations at one time point, not a tested dietary intervention.