Impact of nutritional status and sleep quality on hospital utilisation in the oldest old with heart failure

Objectives

To describe three-year trends in nutritional status and sleep quality and their impact on hospital utilisation in the oldest old (80 +) with heart failure (HF).

Design

Single-centred longitudinal observational study.

Setting

South-eastern Sweden.

Participants

90 elderly (80+) with objectively verified HF.

Measurements

Baseline data from the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and on sleep quality were collected through structured interviews following the HF diagnosis (n=90) and at a three-year follow-up (n=41). Data on hospital utilisation during the three years following the HF diagnosis were also collected.

Results

Nineteen percent of the participants were found to have impaired nutritional status, a condition that increased hospital utilisation by four bed days per year. A majority (85%) had impaired sleep quality, but no impact on hospital utilisation was found. Nutritional status and sleep quality were stable over the three-year period.

Conclusion

In the oldest old with HF, impaired nutritional status and impaired sleep quality are already common at HF diagnosis. Impaired nutritional status increases hospital utilisation significantly. Therefore, it is of supreme importance to systematically evaluate nutritional status and sleep quality in the oldest old when they are diagnosed with HF, as well as to take action if impairments are present.