Real-life study of the effectiveness of a high calorie and high protein formula in the maintenance and improvement of nutritional state in patients with an indication of long-term enteral nutrition

The selection of the most appropriate formula in long-term home enteral nutrition is a controversial issue. Our objective was to study a high protein hypercaloric enteral nutrition formula in patients with long-term feeding (180 days).

Methods: Prospective observational multicenter real-life study with high-protein hypercaloric formula (2kcal/ml and 20% protein). General, anthropometric, analytical and quality of life data were collected by visual analog scale of the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions at the beginning, 60, 120 and 180 days. Gastrointestinal tolerance was assessed with a visual analog scale and Bristol Stool Scale and the risk of malnutrition was assessed using NRS-2002.

Results: 51 patients (88.2% men, mean age 62.0 years), with oncological diseases in 72.5%. No differences in anthropometric data were observed, although the percentage of patients at risk of malnutrition according to NRS 2002 was reduced from 75% to 8.3% (p<0.0001). No differences were observed in albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, lymphocytes or hematocrit. The quality of life improved from 3.84 (1.27) to 5.37 (1.12) on the visual analog scale (p<0.0001). A reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms was observed throughout the period of enteral nutrition. Both the number and percentage of stools considered normal according to the Bristol scale remained stable.

Conclusion: Our study supports that the use of high-protein hypercaloric formulas during a 6-month nutritional treatment allows an adequate nutritional evolution without risk of dehydration and with a good tolerance, even improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms, and can contribute to an improvement in the quality of lifetime.