Nutritional status predicts treatment tolerability, mortality risk in IPF patients

The nutritional status of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a significant impact on both treatment and outcome, suggests a study, noting that assessing the nutritional status offers helpful information for managing these individuals.

A total of 301 patients with IPF were included, of whom 113 (37.5 percent) had malnutrition-related risk (Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index [GNRI] <98). Those with such risk were older, had increased exacerbations, and had worse pulmonary function than those without a GNRI status <98.

Malnutrition-related risk correlated with increased incidence of antifibrotic therapy discontinuation, particularly due to gastrointestinal disturbances. In addition, patients with such risk had shorter survival than those without (median survival, 25.9 vs 41.1 months; p<0.001).

Multivariate analysis revealed that malnutrition-related risk was predictive of both antifibrotic therapy discontinuation and mortality, independent of age, sex, forced vital capacity, or gender‒age‒physiology index.

In this retrospective multicohort study, the authors evaluated the nutritional status of 301 IPF patients being treated with antifibrotic therapy (Hamamatsu cohort: n=151; Seirei cohort: n=150). Nutritional status was examined using the GNRI, which was calculated based on body mass index, and serum albumin.

Finally, the authors assessed the relationship between nutritional status and tolerability of antifibrotic therapy, as well as mortality.

“IPF is characterized by progressive lung fibrosis of unknown aetiology,” the authors said. “Epidemiological studies have suggested that IPF progression may negatively affect nutritional status.”