2019 Volume 1 Issue 3 Pages 149-156
Objective: To examine the clinical effects of Kumareha Power Rice on nutritional status and activities of daily living (ADL) in post-stroke patients.
Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 204 consecutive post-stoke patients who were admitted to our hospital from 2015 to 2016. We used propensity score-matched analysis to compare two groups of patients, those who were fed and those who were not fed Kumareha Power Rice (n = 38 in each group), a soft cooked rice supplemented with medium chain triglycerides and protein that do affect flavor or aroma. Twelve confounders used for matching included consciousness level, swallowing level, nutritional status, and ADL assessed using the motor domain of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-motor). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of Kumareha Power Rice with nutritional and functional outcomes.
Results: Of 204 patients (mean age 73 years;109 men), 127 had cerebral infarction, 62 had cerebral hemorrhage, and 15 had subarachnoid hemorrhage. After propensity score pair-matching, patients who were fed Kumareha Power Rice had higher energy intake, increased body weight and muscle mass, and better ADL and were more likely to have normal food intake rate at discharge than patients who were not fed Kumareha Power Rice (all p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that feeding with Kumareha Power Rice was independently associated with FIM-motor score at discharge (β = 0.17, p = 0.02).
Conclusion: Kumareha Power Rice is effective in improving nutritional status and ADL in post-stroke patients.
