Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of outpatient nutritional counselling in preventing post-gastrectomy weight loss in gastric cancer patients.

Subjects and Methods: The rate of weight loss 6 months after gastrectomy was assessed prospectively in 55 patients who were regularly provided with outpatient nutritional counselling to prevent weight loss (counselling group) and retrospectively in 53 patients who were not provided with such counselling (control group).

Among all patients (n = 108), clinical factors associated with weight loss of < 10% at 6 months after surgery were investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results: The rate of weight loss 6 months after surgery was significantly lower in the counselling group than in the control group (9.6% vs 13.3%, respectively; p < 0.005). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed the following independent factors were involved in weight loss of <10% at 6 months after surgery: (i) nutritional counselling (odds ratio [OR]: 3.495; p = 0.007); (ii) stage I gastric cancer (OR: 2.823; p = 0.027); and (iii) partial gastrectomy (OR: 8.078; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Outpatient nutritional counselling was effective in preventing post-gastrectomy weight loss.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and gait recovery in stroke patients.

Subjects and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 204 consecutive post-stroke patients who were admitted to our hospital from 2015 to 2016. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and lower limb SMI (LSMI) at hospitalization were evaluated using body composition analysis, and their relationships with gait performance at discharge was investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: The study analyzed 204 patients (mean age, 74 years;109 men). SMI and LSMI were significantly associated with gait recovery (both p < 0.01).

Conclusion: It was suggested that skeletal muscle mass is an independent predictor of gait recovery in stroke patients. Assessment of skeletal muscle mass in stroke rehabilitation is useful for predicting gait recovery after stroke and should be used in all cases of stroke.