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. 2024 Jun 12;14(6):746.
doi: 10.3390/life14060746.

Malnutrition and the Post-Acute Sequelae of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Multi-Institutional Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Cheng-Ya Lee  1 , Yung-Chun Liang  2 , Wan-Hsuan Hsu  2 , Ya-Wen Tsai  3 , Ting-Hui Liu  4 , Po-Yu Huang  2 , Min-Hsiang Chuang  5 , Kuo-Chuan Hung  6   7 , Mei-Chuan Lee  8   9 , Tsung Yu  8 , Chih-Cheng Lai  7   10 , Tzu-Chieh Weng  11 , Jheng-Yan Wu  8   12
Affiliations

Malnutrition and the Post-Acute Sequelae of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Multi-Institutional Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Cheng-Ya Lee et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global health crisis, exacerbating issues like malnutrition due to increased metabolic demands and reduced intake during illness. Malnutrition, a significant risk factor, is linked to worse outcomes in patients with COVID-19, such as increased mortality and extended hospital stays. This retrospective cohort study investigated the relationship between malnutrition and clinical outcomes within 90-180 days using data obtained from the TriNetX database. Patients aged >18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1 January 2022, and 31 March 2024 were enrolled in the study. The propensity score-matching (PSM) method was used to match patients with malnutrition (malnutrition group) and those without malnutrition (control group). The primary composite outcome was the cumulative hazard ratio (HR) for post-COVID-19 condition, all-cause hospitalization, and all-cause mortality between 90 days and 180 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. The secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcomes. Two cohorts, each consisting of 15,004 patients with balanced baseline characteristics, were identified using PSM. During the 90-180-day follow-up period, the malnutrition group exhibited a higher incidence of all-cause hospitalization, mortality, or post-COVID-19 condition (HR = 2.315, 95% confidence interval: 2.170-2.471, p < 0.0001). Compared with patients with COVID-19 without malnutrition, those with malnutrition may be associated with a higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19; malnutrition; mortality; nutrition deficiency; undernutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the participant selection process. HCOs: healthcare organizations; y/o: years old; PCR: polymerase chain reaction.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan–Meier event-free curves for the primary outcome: a composite of all-cause hospitalization, all-cause mortality, or post-COVID-19 condition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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