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Nutritional status

Nutritional status has been studied in 18 papers since 2017: 18 observational studies in people. The newest paper, Sep 8, 2025: “A correlation analysis between nutritional status and physical function in the elderly with pulmonary tuberculosis”.

Intervention

18 papers study it23 findingsUpdated

MeSH

Research on it is growing 19% faster than aging research as a whole: 72 papers in the latest year counted

See all 18 papers on nutritional status

At a glance

Independent labs found the same change in people. 13 independent labs in 9 countries.

“those with adequate nutritional status (Ghana 6.36 [SE = 0.59], P < 0.0001; South Africa 8.30 [SE = 1.56], P < 0.0001) had significantly higher cognitive scores compared with malnourished participants”
Nutritional status is associated with cognition and grip strength among older adults: A 10-y longitudinal study in Ghana and South AfricaNutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)2025doi:10.1016/j.nut.2025.112798

1 of its findings points the other way.

Humans: replicated by independent labs. Cells, worms or flies and mice: nothing yet.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

  • 13 independent labs in 9 countries
  • 1 finding against
  • Funders: Abbott and others
  • 4 of 23 findings with company ties
  • Humans18

What did studies of nutritional status find?

3

Studies of nutritional status measured 3 outcomes: cognitive function, frailty and statin association with all-cause death.

Cognitive function

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is linked with better cognitive function in humans (hospitalized).

    “Higher education and better nutritional status are protective factors for the development of cognitive impairment in the hospitalized elderly Chinese population.”

    Humanshospitalizedn = 246

    Education attainment and nutritional status in the prevention of cognitive impairment in the hospitalized Chinese elderly

    Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD

Frailty

no changein humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status was not clearly linked with frailty in humans (malnourished group, longitudinal adjusted analysis).

    “while being malnourished was associated with higher mortality risk (OR: 1.748; 95% CI: 1.073-2.849), but not with incident frailty at follow-up period”

    Humansmalnourished group, longitudinal adjusted analysisaverage follow-up 3.18 yearsn = 1,660

    Impact of nutritional status according to GLIM criteria on the risk of incident frailty and mortality in community-dwelling older adults

    Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Statin association with all-cause death

no changein humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status was not clearly linked with statin association with all-cause death in humans (interaction test between nutritional status and statins use) (P value for interaction 0.516).

    “No interaction effect was detected between nutritional status and statins use in relation to all-cause death”

    Humansinteraction test between nutritional status and statins use

    No modifying effect of nutritional status on statins therapy in relation to all-cause death in older patients with coronary artery disease

    Aging clinical and experimental research

What is nutritional status linked with?

16

Studies link nutritional status with 16 measures, most often frailty (4 studies).

Frailty

mixedin humans2upin humans2OR 1.262–3.75

4 studies

  1. Nutritional status is associated with frailty in humans (frail, in older women living alone).

    “limitation in IADL, depressive symptoms, age, number of chronic diseases, number of medications, nutritional status in frail”

    Humansfrail, in older women living alonefemales

    Factors Associated with Frailty According to Gender of Older Adults Living Alone

    Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)

  2. Nutritional status predicts frailty in humans (dose-dependent manner across GLIM categories).

    “Nutritional status, assessed through GLIM, predicts in a dose-dependent manner the risk of frailty and death.”

    Humansdose-dependent manner across GLIM categoriesaverage follow-up 3.18 yearsn = 1,660

    Impact of nutritional status according to GLIM criteria on the risk of incident frailty and mortality in community-dwelling older adults

    Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

  3. Nutritional status is linked with a higher risk of frailty in humans (at malnutrition risk (AMR) group, longitudinal adjusted analysis) (OR 1.262 (FTS, 95% CI 1.078-1.815); OR 1.116 (FI, 95% CI 1.098-1.686)).

    “AMR was associated with higher risk of frailty, using both the FTS (OR: 1.262; 95% CI: 1.078-1.815) and the FI (OR: 1.116; 95% CI: 1.098-1.686)”

    Humansat malnutrition risk (AMR) group, longitudinal adjusted analysisaverage follow-up 3.18 yearsn = 1,660

    Impact of nutritional status according to GLIM criteria on the risk of incident frailty and mortality in community-dwelling older adults

    Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

  4. Nutritional status is associated with frailty in humans (comparison of normal, pre-frail and frail groups at each year).

    “Differences in dependence of activities of daily living, number of chronic diseases, nutritional status and depression were statistically significant among the normal, pre-frail and frail groups at each year.”

    Humanscomparison of normal, pre-frail and frail groups at each year2014 to 2016n = 182

    Longitudinal changes in frailty prevalence and related factors in older adults living in long-term care facilities

    Journal of advanced nursing

  5. Nutritional status is linked with a higher risk of frailty in humans (cross-sectional analysis of frailty risk factors) (OR 3.75 (95% CI 2.29-6.13)).

    “functional status (OR 2.89; 95% CI 1.79-4.67), and nutritional status (OR 3.75; 95% CI 2.29-6.13)”

    Humanscross-sectional analysis of frailty risk factorsn = 448

    Frailty state among Indonesian elderly: prevalence, associated factors, and frailty state transition

    BMC geriatrics

Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test in humans (pulmonary tuberculosis) (r = -0.501, p < 0.001).

    “negatively correlated with the TUG (r = -0.200, p < 0.001) and the FTSST (r = -0.501, p < 0.001)”

    Humanspulmonary tuberculosisn = 532

    A correlation analysis between nutritional status and physical function in the elderly with pulmonary tuberculosis

    PloS one

More on Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test

Timed Up and Go test

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with Timed Up and Go test in humans (pulmonary tuberculosis) (r = -0.200, p < 0.001).

    “negatively correlated with the TUG (r = -0.200, p < 0.001)”

    Humanspulmonary tuberculosisn = 532

    A correlation analysis between nutritional status and physical function in the elderly with pulmonary tuberculosis

    PloS one

More on Timed Up and Go test

Berg Balance Scale

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with Berg Balance Scale in humans (pulmonary tuberculosis) (r = 0.474, p < 0.001).

    “the nutritional score of patients was positively correlated with the BBS scores (r = 0.474, p < 0.001)”

    Humanspulmonary tuberculosisn = 532

    A correlation analysis between nutritional status and physical function in the elderly with pulmonary tuberculosis

    PloS one

More on Berg Balance Scale

Digestive system neoplasms

mixedin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with digestive system neoplasms in humans (Mendelian randomization).

    “MR confirmed significant causal effects of nutrition on digestive system tumor risk (PIVW < 0.05)”

    HumansMendelian randomization

    Multidimensional Evidence Chain of Nutritional Impact on Digestive System Tumors: Integration of Mendelian Randomization Causal Inference, NHANES Epidemiological Data, and Transcriptomic Analysis

    Nutrition and cancer

More on Digestive system neoplasms

Grip strength

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with grip strength in humans (Ghana; 4.27 [SE = 0.51], P < 0.0001; South Africa; 9.76 [SE = 1.97], P < 0.0001).

    “Significantly higher handgrip strength was measured in participants either classified at risk of malnutrition (Ghana; 2.69 [SE = 0.47], P < 0.0001; South Africa; 4.18 [SE = 2.02], P = 0.038) or those with adequate nutritional status”

    Humans

    Nutritional status is associated with cognition and grip strength among older adults: A 10-y longitudinal study in Ghana and South Africa

    Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)

Cognitive function

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with cognitive function in humans (Ghana 6.36 [SE = 0.59], P < 0.0001; South Africa 8.30 [SE = 1.56], P < 0.0001).

    “those with adequate nutritional status (Ghana 6.36 [SE = 0.59], P < 0.0001; South Africa 8.30 [SE = 1.56], P < 0.0001) had significantly higher cognitive scores compared with malnourished participants”

    Humans

    Nutritional status is associated with cognition and grip strength among older adults: A 10-y longitudinal study in Ghana and South Africa

    Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)

Health-related quality of life

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with health-related quality of life in humans (r = 0.40).

    “there was a moderate positive correlation between MNA-SF and total HR-QoL scores (r = 0.40).”

    Humansn = 166

    Association of Nutritional Status and Diet Diversity with Skeletal Muscle Strength and Quality of Life among Older Arab Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

    Nutrients

Handgrip strength

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with handgrip strength in humans (r = 0.30).

    “The MNA-SF score had a significant positive correlation with HGS (r = 0.30) and KES (r = 0.23).”

    Humansn = 166

    Association of Nutritional Status and Diet Diversity with Skeletal Muscle Strength and Quality of Life among Older Arab Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

    Nutrients

Skeletal muscle mass

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Nutritional status is associated with skeletal muscle mass in humans (normal: 21.6 kg, at risk: 18.2 kg, malnourished: 12.0 kg; p = 0.007).

    “bilateral anterior thigh thickness (normal: 5.07 cm, at risk: 4.03 cm, malnourished: 3.05 cm; p = 0.021), and skeletal muscle mass (Sergi equation) (normal: 21.6 kg, at risk: 18.2 kg, malnourished: 12.0 kg; p = 0.007)”

    Humansn = 79

    Baseline Nutritional Status and In-Hospital Step Count are Associated with Muscle Quantity, Quality, and Function: Results of an Exploratory Study

    Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics

More on Skeletal muscle mass

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See all 18 papers on nutritional status

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