Screening for Malnutrition in Obese Patients

Overview

More than half of the Dutch population is overweight or obese, which is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 and worse outcomes during a COVID-19 infection. In addition, malnutrition and loss of muscle mass are often reported with COVID-19, as well as with cancer and other diseases. Malnutrition and overweight or obesity can coexist, even within the same individual. It is still unclear which mechanisms contribute to the worse outcomes of COVID-19 and other diseases in case of overweight, malnutrition, and a combination of both. The aim of this study is to identify which parameters are associated with worse disease outcomes through literature research and database research (COVID-19 and cancer, more than 150.000 participants). In addition, a clinical study will be conducted aiming to develop a simple screening tool for the recognition of the coexistence of malnutrition and overweight or obesity in clinical practice.

Overweight and malnutrition are both common and have a significant societal impact as well as a negative effect on healthcare. They can also coexist, and may potentially reinforce each other. How the combination of both influences the course of COVID-19 and other diseases is still largely unknown. There is no simple set of parameters yet available to screen for the simultaneous occurrence of overweight and malnutrition. This project has the following objectives: * To evaluate the nutritional status (malnutrition, overweight, and the combination of both) and the (dietary) treatment of patients with COVID-19 in primary care (WP1). * To assess the influence of various parameters of malnutrition and overweight and their effects on the outcomes of COVID-19 and cancer based on literature and data from existing Dutch cohorts (WP2 and WP3). Based on this, to develop a screening tool for malnutrition in overweight; (WP4). \- Dissemination of the results (WP5).

Conditions