Nursing Home Residents with Advanced CKD or Dementia Have Higher Malnutrition Risk.

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors of malnutrition in nursing home residents. Design and Methods: This is a cross-over study. One hundred and eleven elderly living in nursing home were recruited in this study from 2008 to 2011. GNRI score and information of age, gender, stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD), liver function markers and presence of diabetes, stroke and dementia were collected. Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) score was used as nutritional status marker. All subjects were divided into 3 groups by scores of GNRI: GNRI < 92, severe to moderate malnutrition; GNRI 92-98, mild malnutrition; GNRI > 98, no malnutrition risk. Results: Nighty-three subjects had GNRI ≤98, and sixty-four subjects had GNRI < 92. All subjects of stage 3 CKD had GNRI < 98. The worse renal function was significantly correlated with lower GNRI scores (P < 0.05). Subjects with dementia had significantly lower GNRI score than other subjects (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The nursing home residents with advanced CKD or dementia may have higher malnutrition risk, and need additional nutritional evaluation and care.