Low Plasma Total Cholesterol Concentration: A Sensitive Evaluation Marker in Hospitalized Patients with Nutritional Deficiency Malnutrition

Objective: To investigate sensitive evaluation markers in hospitalized patients with nutritional deficiency malnutrition. Methods: A total of 358 hospitalized patients were enrolled. Each patient was analyzed with Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and was divided into well nutrition group, medium nutrition group and poor nutrition group. The relationships between low plasma total cholesterol (TC) level and other variables were analyzed. Results: Irrespective of men or women, the morbidities of low plasma TC, low serum albumin (ALB), low serum total proteins (TP), low plasma triglyceride (TG) and low hemoglobin (HB) concentration were as same as the result of subjective global assessment (SGA). Plasma TC concentration was positively correlated with serum ALB, HB, plasma TG, lymph cells number (Ly#), and body mass index (BMI). The level of plasma TC between men and women was different. Logistic regression analysis showed that serum ALB and plasma TC level were significantly independent predictors of SGA. Influence of plasma TC level on SGA was higher than that of serum ALB level. Meanwhile, low plasma TC level was not correlated with age, but it was correlated with total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Conclusions: It can be drew conclusions that low plasma TC concentration is a sensitive evaluation marker in hospitalized patients with nutritional deficiency malnutrition. It is more excellent than traditional variables, such as serum ALB.