Nutritional status in patients attended at an adult program for cystic fibrosis patients

Abstract

Introduction: In cystic fibrosis (CF) nutritional status is associated with growth, lung function and survival rates. Objective: To evaluated the nutritional status in adults with CF and correlating with clinical score, chest radiographic score, maximal respiratory pres-sures, submaximal exercise capacity and pulmonary function. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in patients (16 years and older) attending to an adult CF program. The patients were submitted to a clinical and nutritional evaluation, six minute walk test (6MWT), maximal respiratory pressures, spirometry and chest roentgenograms. Results: The study included 41 patients with a mean age of 23.7 ± 6.5 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 20.2 ± 2.2 Kg/m2. Twenty six patients (63.4%) were classified as well nourished (BMI = 21.7 ± 2.0 Kg/m2), six (14.6%) were at nutritional risk (BMI = 19.4 ± 0.50 Kg/m2) and 9 (22%) were malnourished (BMI = 17.6 ± 0.8 Kg/m2). There were no significant correlation between BMI and age (r = 0.24; P = 0.13), age at diagnosis (r = -0.04; P = 0.81), clinical (r = 0.13; P = 0.40) and radiographic (r = -0.22; P = 0.17) scores, distance walked in 6MWT (r = 0.20; P = 0.20), FEV1 % (r = 0.11; P = 0.50) and FVC % (r = 0.06; P = 0.72). Also, there were no significant association between the decline of nutritional status and these variables. Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of patients with CF (16 years and older) have an adequate nutritional status (63.4%), but a significant percentage (36.6%) have a nutritional depletion. There was no significant association between nutritional status and pulmonary function, maximal respiratory pressures, clinical and chest radiographic score and submaximal exercise capacity. Keywords: Cystic fibrosis, nutritional status, pulmonary function, adults, submaximal exercise capacity.