LAUSR

ObjectiveTo determine the association between the level of nutritional risk and the mortality of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation.MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, we included patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation in an internal medicine department in 2007. We calculated the nutritional risk with the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and conducted a 10-year follow-up. To determine the variables associated with mortality in the short (3 months), medium (1 year) and long term (10 years), we constructed a Cox proportional hazards regression model and calculated the Kaplan–Meier survival curves.ResultsThe study included 282 patients with a mean (SD) age of 81.2 (7.9) years. The mean CONUT score was 4.7 (2.8) points. Thirty-six patients had zero nutritional risk, 110 had a low risk, 106 had a moderate risk, and 30 had a high risk. The median survival of the patients with zero, low, moderate and high risk was 33 months, 21 months, 10 months and 60 days, respectively. The CONUT score was independently associated with mortality at 3 months (HR 1.144; 95% CI 1.062–1.233), 12 months (HR 1.102; 95% CI 1.030–1.179) and 10 years (HR 1.051; 95% CI 1.000–1.103).ConclusionsNutritional risk is associated with the short-, medium- and long-term mortality of hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation.