Sex-Related Differences in the Impact of Nutritional Status on In-Hospital Mortality in Heart Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

AIMS A nutritional status is related to the length of hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality of patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic impact of nutritional status and BMI on in-hospital mortality among patients with HF relative to their sex. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a retrospective study and analysis of 809 medical records of patients admitted to the Institute of Heart Disease of the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw (Poland). Women were statistically significantly older than men (74.67±11.15 vs 66.76±17.78; p<0.001). In unadjusted model significant Predictor of the odds of in-hospital mortality for man are underweight (OR=14.81, p=0.001) and the risk of malnutrition (OR=8.979, p<0.001). In case of woman none of the traits analyzed was a significant. In age-adjusted model significant independent predictor of the odds of in-hospital mortality in the case of men was BMI>18,5 (OR=15.423, p=0.001) and risk of malnutrition (OR=5.557, p=0.002). In case of woman none of the nutritional status traits analyzed was a significant. In multivariable-adjusted model in men, significant independent predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality were BMI>18,5 (OR=15.978, p=0.007) compared to having normal body weight and the risk of malnutrition (OR=4.686, p=0.015). In case of woman none of the nutritional status traits analyzed was a significant. CONCLUSION Both underweight and the risk of malnutrition are direct predictors of the odds of in-hospital mortality in men, but not in women. The study did not find a relationship between nutritional status and in-hospital mortality in women.