Evident lower blood levels of multiple nutritional compounds and highly prevalent malnutrition in sub-acute stroke patients with or without dysphagia

Title: Evident lower blood levels of multiple nutritional compounds and highly prevalent malnutrition in sub-acute stroke patients with or without dysphagia

This new explorative study, ‘Evident lower blood levels of multiple nutritional compounds and highly prevalent malnutrition in sub-acute stroke patients with or without dysphagia”, seeks to further understand stroke-related malnutrition. To add to previous research the authors assessed a wide range of serum parameters, while differentiating between patients presenting with and without oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Deterioration in nutritional status is highly prevalent after stroke, with (risk of) malnutrition appearing in over half of stroke patients. One of the main expediting factors of post-stroke malnutrition is oropharyngeal dysphagia, a common stroke consequence present in one to three quarters of stroke patients.

Malnutrition as a stroke complication is not limited to protein-energy depletion but can also encompass specific micronutrients and fatty acids deficiencies. As such, the study assesses a wide range of blood parameters, from trace elements and vitamins to complete fatty acid profiles. Additionally, it differentiates patients with and without OD to further contextualize malnutrition extent.

The study observes a population of ischemic stroke patients with and without OD as inpatients in a rehabilitation center between 2 and 12 weeks after stroke occurrence, patients were age- and sex-matched to healthy reference subjects.
The study finds that more than half of the stroke patients have (risk of) malnutrition, with a higher occurrence in stroke patients with OD (65%) than without -OD (45%).
Fasted blood concentrations of vitamins B1, B2, B6, A, D, and E, selenium, choline, coenzyme Q10, albumin, pre-albumin, transferrin, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid were all lower in stroke patients compared to their matched healthy reference subjects, irrespective of OD status.
In addition, quality of life and activities of daily living was impaired in stroke patients compared to the healthy reference subjects, with OD patients scoring worse than patients without OD.

These results underline the importance of screening for nutritional impairments in every stroke patient, with or without OD, to support rehabilitation.

You can find the full publication here: Frontiers | Evident lower blood levels of multiple nutritional compounds and highly prevalent malnutrition in sub-acute stroke patients with or without dysphagia (frontiersin.org)

Learn more about stroke & dysphagia on our website: Stroke & Dysphagia Research | Nutricia Research