, suggest doctors could use a tool called the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index to identify patients who would benefit from changes to their diet.

“This study adds to a growing body of research showing good nutrition is associated with better outcomes after surgery,” said Abirami Kumaresan, MD, assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai and first author of the study. “Doctors and clinical care teams have an opportunity to help patients modify their risk with conversations centered on improvements in diet.”

Investigators reviewed data from patients 65 and older who underwent nonurgent coronary artery bypass grafting or a valve repair or replacement procedure in a single center between July 2011 and March 2022. After adjusting for several factors, the investigators found that low scores on the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index were associated with 4.8-fold greater odds of in-hospital mortality, 8.7-fold greater odds of 30-day mortality, and 3.7-fold greater odds of needing extended hospital care.

For all patients, the postoperative in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4% and 30-day mortality rate was 5.5%.

Other Cedars-Sinai authors involved in the study include George Gill, MD; Tao Shen, MBBS; Michael Bowdish, MD; Joseph E. Ebinger, MD, MS; and Susan Cheng, MD, MPH.

No conflicts of interest to disclose.

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