出版社：Sociedad Española de Dietética y Ciencias de la Alimentación (SEDCA)
摘要：Introduction: Weight loss, especially the loss of lean
mass, and anemia are common in patients with gastrointestinal
tumors and systemic inflammation is considered an aggravating
factor.
Objective: Investigate the nutritional status, occurrence
of anemia and inflammatory activity in patients with gastrointestinal
tumors in the preoperative phase.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in northeastern
Brazil involving patients with gastrointestinal tumors
with no previous treatment. Evaluations involved anthropometrics,
biochemical blood analysis and a subjective nutritional
assessment (patient’s opinion).
Results and discussion: The prevalence of undernutrition
was high based on the subjective nutritional assessment
(97.9%), percentage weight loss (97.9%), triceps skin fold
(83.3%), arm circumference (72.9%) and arm muscle circumference
(64.6%). A significant reduction between the habitual
and current body mass index was found in the entire
sample of adults and elderly individuals (p < 0.001). Albumin
and transferrin were below normal in 97.9% of the sample
and C-reactive protein was high in all patients. A large portion
of the sample exhibited normochromic normocytic anemia
(45.8%) and the majority exhibited immune depletion based
on total lymphocyte count (72.9%). The percentage weight
loss was significantly associated with the time since the onset
of symptoms (r = 0.574; p < 0.001).
Conclusion: High prevalence rates of anemia, undernutrition
and systemic inflammation were found in patients with
gastrointestinal tumors. The onset of symptoms occurred
long before the diagnosis, which underscores the need for nutritional
intervention as soon as gastrointestinal disorders
arise in order to minimize complications in the postoperative
period.
