Appetite loss and associated factors at 1 year after intensive care unit elder survivors in a secondary analysis of the SMAP-HoPe study

Appetite loss, a common but serious issue in older patients, is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia, which is associated with high mortality. However, few studies have explored the phenomenon of appetite loss after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, we aimed to describe the prevalence of appetite loss and relationship between appetite loss and depression in patients living at home 12 months after intensive care. This study involved secondary analysis of data obtained from a published ambidirectional study examining post-intensive care syndrome 12 months after discharge (SMAP-HoPe study) conducted in 12 ICUs in Japan. We included patients aged > 65 years. The Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics and a multilevel generalized linear model were used to clarify the relationship between appetite loss and depression. Data from 468 patients were analyzed. The prevalence of appetite loss was 25.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.5–29.4). High severity of depression was associated with a high probability of appetite loss (odds ratio, 1.2; 95%CI, 1.14–1.28; p = 0.00). Poor appetite is common 12 months after intensive care and is associated with the severity of depression.