The Association Of Nutritional Status On Functional Capacity And Quality Of Life In Cardiac Amyloidosis Patients: An Exploratory Pilot Study

AimsThis study aimed to examine the prevalence of malnutrition and its associations with functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) in AL and ATTR cardiac amyloidosis patients. Methods and ResultsThis cross-sectional pilot study included 29 patients with confirmed CA (14 AL, 15 ATTR). Data were collected between January 2020 and September 2021. Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index (BMI), anthropometric measures, and the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). Functional capacity was evaluated via handgrip strength and the 6-minute walk test, while QoL was assessed using the SF-36 and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Malnutrition, as determined by SGA, was present in 62% of patients, with no significant difference between AL and ATTR subtypes. In contrast, BMI according to WHO criteria failed to identify any cases of malnutrition, highlighting its limited utility in this population. These results suggest that conventional indicators may underestimate nutritional impairment in CA. Although overall QoL and functional capacity did not differ significantly between nutritional groups, malnourished AL patients showed notably lower QoL scores compared with well-nourished peers. ConclusionMalnutrition is highly prevalent in cardiac amyloidosis and seems to particularly affect the AL subtype. These findings underscore the importance of routine nutritional screening and targeted interventions, as early identification and management of malnutrition may improve patients quality of life and long-term outcomes.