Detecting malnutrition and predicting mortality in the Spanish oldest old: Utility of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score compared with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score

IntroductionThe prevalence of malnutrition increases with age. The aim of the study was to compare the usefulness of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score with that of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score, for detecting risk of malnutrition and predicting mortality in a very old community-dwelling population.Material and methodsCross-sectional community-based survey of 328 inhabitants aged 85 at baseline (Octabaix Study cohort). Geriatric assessment, socio-demographic variables, and co-morbidity were collected in all participants. Nutritional status and its correlation with 4-year mortality rates were assessed by using both the CONUT and the MNA indexes.ResultsOf the total of 328 subjects, 322 (98%) were finally included in the study. Prevalence of abnormal nutritional status was 16.5% when using the CONUT score and 34.2% when the MNA index at baseline. There was no correlation between the CONUT and the MNA score values (r = −0.37; P = 0.51). Cumulative mortality rates throughout the 4-year period of follow-up were, respectively: 4.6%, 10.5%, 17.7, and 28.8%. While the CONUT score showed correlation with mortality rates only during the second year of follow-up (P = 0.02), the MNA score showed a statistically significant association in each of the 4 years of follow-up (first year P = 0.01, second year P = 0.006, third year P = 0.001, and fourth year P = 0.002).ConclusionsWhen compared, the MNA score detected a higher proportion of individuals at risk for malnutrition than that detected by the CONUT. Furthermore, MNA was more effective for predicting 4-year mortality rates than the CONUT.