Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome analysis of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty in older adult patients with pneumonia
10.3760/cma.j.cn341190-20241223-01716
- VernacularTitle:老年肺炎患者营养不良、肌少症、衰弱的中医证型分析
- Author:
Jingran CAO
1
;
Qingsheng LUO
;
Xiaoqiang CAI
;
Wei LIU
Author Information
1. 天津医科大学第二医院营养科,天津 300211
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Pneumonia;
Aged;
Sarcopenia;
Comorbidity;
Muscular dystrophies;
Medicine,Chinese traditional
- From:
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy
2025;32(9):1287-1291
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes in older adult patients with pneumonia who face nutritional risks, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty, as well as the extent to which these syndromes affect their nutritional status.Methods:This study used a cross-sectional research design. A total of 1 263 older adult patients with pneumonia who received treatment at the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, from July 2021 to July 2024 were included in this study. These patients underwent TCM syndrome differentiation and nutritional assessments. The top 10 distribution patterns of TCM syndromes related to nutritional risk, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty were identified. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the effect of each syndrome pattern on nutritional risk, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty. The odds ratio ( OR) value was used as the effect indicator of effect, with an OR > 1 indicating that the syndrome pattern is a risk factor for nutritional status; the larger the value, the higher the risk. Results:In older adults with pneumonia, the TCM syndrome patterns most commonly associated with nutritional risk, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty were concentrated in phlegm-damp accumulation, phlegm-heat obstructing the lung, qi and blood deficiency, qi deficiency with blood stasis, qi and yin depletion, yang deficiency with water retention, spleen-stomach deficiency, lung qi depletion, and kidney deficiency with failure to grasp qi. Qi deficiency with blood stasis ( OR = 3.70) and qi and blood deficiency ( OR = 4.90) were risk factors for malnutrition. Phlegm-damp accumulation ( OR = 3.46), qi deficiency with blood stasis ( OR = 3.87), and qi and blood deficiency ( OR = 4.52) were risk factors for sarcopenia. Phlegm-damp accumulation ( OR = 2.63), phlegm-heat obstructing the lung ( OR = 3.14), qi deficiency with blood stasis ( OR = 5.78), and qi and blood deficiency ( OR = 6.33) were risk factors for frailty. Conclusions:Phlegm-dampness accumulation, phlegm-heat obstructing the lungs, deficiency of both qi and blood, and qi deficiency with blood stasis are all risk factors for nutritional risks, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and frailty in older adults. Patients with pneumonia exhibiting these patterns should pay special attention to their nutritional status, and early nutritional intervention should be implemented to prevent adverse clinical outcomes.