Clinical nutrition : official journal of the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Oral nutritional support in malnourished elderly decreases functional limitations with no extra costs.
Older people are vulnerable to malnutrition which leads to increased health care costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of nutritional supplementation from a societal perspective. ⋯ A multi-component nutritional intervention to malnourished elderly patients for three months after hospital discharge leads to significant improvement in functional limitations and is neutral in costs. A follow-up of three months is probably too short to detect changes in QALYs or physical activities.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomized phase III clinical trial of a combined treatment with carnitine + celecoxib ± megestrol acetate for patients with cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome.
A phase III, randomized non-inferiority study was carried out to compare a two-drug combination (including nutraceuticals, i.e. antioxidants) with carnitine + celecoxib ± megestrol acetate for the treatment of cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome (CACS): the primary endpoints were increase of lean body mass (LBM) and improvement of total daily physical activity. Secondary endpoint was: increase of physical performance tested by grip strength and 6-min walk test. ⋯ The results of the present study showed a non-inferiority of arm 1 (two-drug combination) vs arm 2 (two-drug combination + megestrol acetate). Therefore, this simple, feasible, effective, safe, low cost with favorable cost-benefit profile, two-drug approach could be suggested in the clinical practice to implement CACS treatment.