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Observational Study
. 2025 May 5;40(17):e73.
doi: 10.3346/jkms.2025.40.e73.

Nutrition Status and Comorbidities Are Important Factors Associated With Mortality During Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment

Oh Beom Kwon  1 , Hyung Woo Kim  2 , Ju Sang Kim  2 , Eung Gu Lee  3 , Yeonhee Park  4 , Sung Soo Jung  5 , Jin Woo Kim  6 , Jee Youn Oh  7 , Sang Haak Lee  8 , Seunghoon Kim  9 , Sun-Hyung Kim  10 , Jiwon Lyu  11 , Yousang Ko  12 , Sun Jung Kwon  13 , Ganghee Chae  14 , Jinsoo Min  15
Affiliations
Observational Study

Nutrition Status and Comorbidities Are Important Factors Associated With Mortality During Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment

Oh Beom Kwon et al. J Korean Med Sci. .

Abstract

Background: The increasing incidence and mortality rates of tuberculosis among older individuals who suffer from multiple morbidities and are vulnerable to malnutrition are major obstacles to efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in the Republic of Korea. Herein, we identified the factors associated with mortality during anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study and extracted data from the database of a multi-center prospective observational cohort study in Korea. Among the participants with rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis, the survival group was defined as those who successfully completed treatment within one year, whereas the mortality group was defined as those who died during treatment. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with TB mortality.

Results: Among 1,119 participants with pulmonary TB registered between 2019 and 2021, 799 and 59 were grouped in the survival and mortality groups, respectively. Age, positive smear results, alarming symptoms, nutrition risk score, Charlson comorbidity index score, and initial standard treatment regimen were significant based on univariable analysis and were selected for the multivariable logistic regression model. Nutrition risk score (adjusted odds ratio, 2.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.72-3.48) and Charlson comorbidity index score (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-1.94) remained statistically significant in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: Nutritional status and comorbidities at baseline were identified as important factors associated with mortality in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Keywords: Chronic Disease; Death; Morbidity; Nutrition; Tuberculosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Flow chart of participant enrollment.
TB = tuberculosis, MDR/RR-TB = multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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