Improper calorie intake may increase re-hospitalization in Heart Failure

Insufficient calorie intake reduced post-discharge quality of life which in turn increased the burden of re-hospitalization in patients with Heart Failure (HF). The recent study was published in the Journal of American college of Cardiology, 2020.

Researchers from the University of Michigan and Columbia University evaluated the relationship between calorie intake and post-discharge outcomes in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). These findings provide new insight into the importance of sufficient calorie intake and nutrition levels which can otherwise cause adverse outcomes in HF. Sodium restriction in diet may further worsen the nutritional intake inadvertently and thus affecting the quality of life. Insufficient calorie intake was defined as <90% of metabolic needs. 

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There were 57 participants in the study with a mean age of 70 ± 8 years. In a dietary intervention trial, baseline nutritional intake in HF inpatients was estimated using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) was calculated. Also a 15-point micro-nutrient deficiency score was created for insufficient calorie intake. Adjusted linear, logistic, and negative binomial regression were used to evaluate associations between insufficient calorie intake and quality of life (using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Clinical Summary [KCCQ-CS]), readmission risk, and days re-hospitalized over 12 weeks.