Controlling nutritional status score for predicting 3-mo functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Nutritional Science
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Malnutrition is a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients.
• Currently, no established indicator effectively measures malnutrition in this population.
• The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score shows promise as a prognostic tool for malnutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
• To determine if the CONUT score can serve as a prognostic marker for recovery after ischemic stroke.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 264 acute ischemic stroke patients were assessed within 7 days of onset.
• The CONUT score was calculated using serum albumin, lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol.
• Malnutrition was defined as a CONUT score of 5-12; poor functional outcome was a modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6 at 3 months.

Main Results:

• Of 230 assessed patients, 85 experienced poor functional outcomes.
• Patients with poor outcomes were older and had comorbidities like atrial fibrillation and anemia.
• A CONUT score of 5-12 was independently associated with poor functional outcomes (OR: 4.15, 95% CI: 1.52-11.67, P=0.005).

Conclusions:

• The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a valuable prognostic marker for predicting functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients.
• Early assessment of nutritional status using the CONUT score can aid in identifying patients at risk for poor recovery.