Nutritional risk score predicts the length of stay in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Nutritional status is a factor that impacts the clinical outcomes of various medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and surgical procedures; however, little is known about its role in percutaneous procedures. This study aimed to assess the association between nutritional status and risk in patients undergoing coronary angiography and in-hospital mortality and length of stay to improve risk stratification and peri-procedural care.

Patients who underwent coronary angiography between January 2022 and August 2023. Nutritional status was assessed with body mass index, and nutritional risk was assessed with the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score. Multivariate regression models assessed independent predictors of in-hospital mortality, adjusting for age, sex, coronary event, Canadian Cardiovascular Society class, and cardiac arrest at admission. Subgroup analyses were performed based on coronary event type to evaluate whether the associations differed across clinical presentations.

Patients who underwent angiography (n = 1343) were aged 69.2 ± 11.1 years, 51% male, and 49% had acute coronary syndrome. The mean length of stay at the hospital was 4.5 ± 4.8 days; 38% of patients stayed ≥5 days. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.3%. Regression analyses revealed that the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score independently predicted the length of stay (β = 0.63, p = 0.002), and this relationship was strongest in the non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction subgroup (β = 1.26, p = 0.02). Body mass index did not predict the length of stay. There was no significant relationship between in-hospital mortality and body mass index or the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score.

Nutritional risk significantly predicts the length of stay after coronary angiography, independent of age, sex, and coronary event type. Clinicians should consider routine nutritional risk assessment preceding coronary angiography to help individualise post-procedure, in-hospital care.