Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to clarify the relation between the fasting period and the nutritional status in stroke patients in the acute stage, comparing groups of stroke types and subtypes.
METHODS: From July 2009 to June 2010, we retrospectively investigated patients with strokes newly admitted to four major hospitals in the Noto district of Japan. Information on the severity of stroke, the fasting period, the transitional changes of the body mass index (BMI) and the level of serum albumin after admission were examined. A total of 508 patients were included in this study with a mean age of 75.4 years. There was a standard deviation of 11.0 years. Statistical differentiation was detected by p<0.05.
RESULTS: The mean fasting periods of all patients was 2.3±7.7 days (mean ±SD), that of the cerebral infarction (CI) group was 1.8±6.7 days, that of the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) group was 3.5±10.6 days, and that of the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) ; 3.5±5.4 days. The fasting period was positively correlated with the score of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission. The fasting period of CI was significantly shorter than that of ICH and SAH. In all stroke types BMI and the level of serum albumin at the end of the acute stage of the stroke were significantly lower than those on admission. In addition, the amounts of the decrease of those parameters in patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism were statistically larger than those of lacunar infarction.
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the fasting period after stroke onset varies according to the severity of disease and to the type of stroke. A positive relationship between the fasting period and the depression of nutritional condition is suggested.
