Underlying Causes and Co-existence of Malnutrition and Infections: An Exceedingly Common Death Risk in Cancer

Abstract

In nutrition science, malnutrition is a state of imbalance between intake and the needs of the organism, leading to metabolic changes, impaired physiological functions, and weight loss. Regardless of the countless efforts being taken and researched for years, the burden of malnutrition is still alarming and considered a significant agent of mortality across the globe. Around 45% of 12 million children deaths (0–5 years old) annually are due to malnutrition, mostly from developing countries. Malnutrition develops associations with other infections and leads to substantial clinical outcomes, such as mortality, more visits to hospitals, poor quality of life and physical frailty, and socioeconomic issues. Here, in this review, we intend to provide an overview of the current burden, underlying risk factors, and co-existence of malnutrition and other infections, such as cancer. Following the rising concern of the vicious interplay of malnutrition and other medical illnesses, we believed that this narrative review would highlight the need to re-make and re-define the future strategies by giving comprehensive and sustainable programs to alleviate poverty and combat the rampant infectious diseases and those nutrition-related health problems. Furthermore, the study also raises the concern for hospitalized malnourished cancer patients as it is crucially important to knowledge the caregiver healthcare staff for early interventions of providing nutritional support to delay or prevent the onset of malnutrition.

Surgical Prehabilitation in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers: Impact of Unimodal and Multimodal Programs on Postoperative Outcomes and Prospects for New Therapeutic Strategies—A Systematic Review

“…Inconclusive results of RCTs evaluating surgical prehabilitation programs in GI cancers could also be explained by the multifactorial origin of malnutrition in cancer patients [ 64 ]. Therefore, new potential therapeutic targets should be considered.…”

Quality and Nutrient Loss in the Cooking Vegetable and Its Implications for Food and Nutrition Security in Ethiopia: A Review

“…90 It is clear that malnutrition makes children more vulnerable to frequent infections, increases the severity of these infections, and prolongs the healing process. 91 According to nutritionists, 92 by 2030, there will be an estimated 129 million children under 5 whose growth will be stunted due to malnutrition if the severity of malnutrition persists, and with this major challenge, the lack of proper preparation of vegetables can go a long way.…”

Hubungan status gizi dan morbiditas balita pada desa lokus dan non lokus di 13 kabupaten lokus stunting di Indonesia tahun 2019

“…6 Kurang gizi telah dilaporkan berhubungan dengan diare, infeksi saluran pernapasan, campak serta tuberkulosis. 7,8 Infeksi saluran pernapasan akut (ISPA) adalah salah satu bentuk infeksi pernapasan yang berhubungan dengan morbiditas dan mortalitas yang signifikan di antara pasien anak di seluruh dunia. ISPA berulang sangat umum terjadi pada balita baik di negara maju dan negara berkembang.…”