Acute-phase nutritional changes associated with poorer 3-month outcomes in ischemic stroke patients

This prospective-retrospective cohort study included 1,445 patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted within 48 hours of onset. The study examined acute-phase nutritional changes (ΔPNI) as an exposure, though no comparator was reported, and assessed 3-month functional outcomes using modified Rankin Scale scores ≥3 to define poor outcomes.

The main finding showed that PNI2 (post-acute phase) was significantly lower than PNI1 (acute phase) in patients with poor outcomes, with values of 45.75 versus 46.70 (p < 0.05). This indicates an association between decreased nutritional status during the acute phase and poorer 3-month functional recovery, though absolute numbers for this comparison were not reported.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the study, and limitations were not specified. The study design examines associations rather than establishing causality, and key methodological details like setting, funding, and practice relevance were not reported.

For clinical practice, these findings suggest that nutritional status changes during acute ischemic stroke may be linked to functional outcomes, but evidence remains observational. Without safety data or a clear comparator, clinicians should view this as preliminary information requiring confirmation through more rigorous studies before considering nutritional interventions based solely on these results.