Researchers looked at whether a patient's nutritional status, measured by a score called the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), was connected to their risk of future heart problems. They studied 734 patients who had both atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) and a type of heart failure where the heart pumps normally but doesn't relax properly. The patients were followed for a median of 35 months at a single hospital in China.
The study found that patients with higher PNI scores had a significantly lower risk of experiencing major adverse cardiovascular events (like heart attack or stroke) and a lower risk of death from any cause. For example, patients in the top third of PNI scores had about a 63% lower risk of major heart events and an 83% lower risk of death compared to those in the bottom third.
It is important to be careful with these results. This was a retrospective study, meaning researchers looked back at existing medical records. This type of study can show a link but cannot prove that better nutrition caused the better outcomes. The study was done at one hospital, and the PNI score itself had only a modest ability to predict who would have an event. More research is needed to see if this score is useful for guiding patient care.
