Prevalence of malnutrition in systemic sclerosis patients assessed by different diagnostic tools

Gastrointestinal complaints of scleroderma (SS) patients are risk factors for impaired nutritional status, so insightful assessment is necessary. The aim was comparison of malnutrition rates in SS patients using different tools. Nutritional status was assessed using 7-SGA and SNAQ in 56 patients (47F, 9M) with SS. Anthropometric measurements and analysis of body composition were done. Serum levels of CRP, albumin, and hemoglobin were determined. Retrospectively, in 2018, diagnosis of malnutrition was verified using ESPEN 2015 and GLIM 2018 criteria. Gastrointestinal complaints were present in 76.8% of respondents. BMI < 18.5 was found in only 5.4% subjects. However, the percentage of patients with impaired nutritional status was higher and varied, depending on the tools used: 16.1% in SNAQ, 17.9% according to ESPEN 2015, 23.2% in 7-SGA, and as high as 62.5% when GLIM criteria were used. A significant part of patients with SS is malnourished. Screening for malnutrition should be focused on the percentage of unintentional weight loss, presence of gastrointestinal symptoms, and analysis of body composition. The choice of diagnostic tool appropriate for patients with SS will enable starting on-time nutritional intervention.Key Points:• Gastrointestinal involvement causes a significant proportion of patients to be malnourished.• It is important to look for early signs of malnutrition in patients with SS.• Assessment of nutritional status by adequate tools enables starting on-time nutritional intervention and improving prognosis in SS patients.