A new nutritional approach. Assessment of the patient's nutritional status: function and body composition

Abstract

Malnutrition can be considered a mismatch between the intake and the requirements of energy and nutrients. It produces a series of metabolic and functional changes to the body. There are multiple limitations to the classic parameters of nutrition assessment, as body mass index, weight loss, intake or standard analytical parameters, such as albumin or lymphocytes. We can establish some points of interest in this new approach to nutrition focused on the assessment of the nutritional status of the patient by evaluating changes in composition and function with new parameters such the phase angle and other electrical measurements of bioimpedance, dynamometry, functional test, muscle ultrasound or new analytical parameters such as PCR/prealbumin.Each of these parameters has many utilities and limitations that are important to know when evaluating the results. Advanced nutritional parameters of the future must be sensitive and specific, interrelated, so as to allow a better understanding of the particular situation of each patient in different moments of their disease.