Impact on the Nutritional Status and Inflammation of Patients with Cancer Hospitalized after the SARS-CoV-2 Lockdown

Abstract

Many studies have demonstrated that malnutrition has a negative impact on quality of life and mortality in patients with cancer. During the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown, dietary intake changes were detected in the Spanish population, reflecting an increase in the consumption of fruit, bread, flours, and eggs. The present study analyzed the nutritional status of 728 patients with cancer admitted once the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown finished, comparing it with the previous year as well as with mortality rates. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) was applied in the first 24 h after admission. Age, gender, days of stay, circulating concentrations of albumin, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes, prealbumin, and mortality data were analyzed. Patients with cancer admitted between June and December of 2020 exhibited no statistical differences in BMI, age, or gender as compared to patients admitted in 2019. Statistically significant differences in nutritional status (p < 0.05), albumin (p < 0.001), and CRP (p = 0.005) levels regarding lockdown were observed in relation with a small non-significant reduction in mortality. In conclusion, following the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown, an improved nutritional status in cancer patients at admission was observed with a decrease in the percentage of weight loss and CRP levels together with an increase in albumin levels compared to oncological patients admitted the previous year.

Cancer patients with COVID-19: does prior nutritional risk associated with cancer indicate a poor prognosis for COVID-19?

“…Because nutritional risk is a modifiable factor that can be reduced or controlled with early, individualized nutritional therapy after identifying nutritional risk could help prevent the disease from progressing and improve the prognosis for cancer patients infected with COVID-19. (12,51) This supports the idea that any nutritional derangements should be promptly and systematically managed in cancer patients with COVID-19, (52,53) and that nutritional care should be an integral part of care for these patients. However, future intervention trials are required to improve the current evidence.…”

Recent Progress in the Management of Obesity

“…The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that accompanied it had a very notable impact on our lives, as well as on our health [ 15 ]. Due to the lockdown, health providers were forced to increase the use of telehealth and telemedicine.…”