This study investigates the relationship between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and frailty among older hospitalized patients. Conducted at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, the research included 740 patients aged 70 years or older. The GNRI was used to assess nutritional risk, while the FRAIL scale measured frailty levels.
Key findings:
Frailty prevalence was 36.8% in the study population, with another 38.9% categorized as pre-frail.
A significant association was found between lower GNRI scores and higher frailty risk, even after adjusting for age, sex, polypharmacy, comorbidities, vision/hearing impairment, cognitive impairment, and depression.
ROC curve analysis showed the GNRI’s predictive accuracy for frailty (AUC = 0.698, p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off value of 97.16.
The study suggests that GNRI can serve as a simple, objective tool for frailty screening in older patients, helping clinicians implement timely interventions.
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