Malnutrition is a growing public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. Up to 50% of elderly patients are hospitalized due to this condition. In this review, we focused on analyzing the current diagnostic criteria for malnutrition among the elderly population and proposing promising solutions. Currently used diagnostic methods such as BMI or serum albumin levels are not sufficient to indicate malnutrition, which is affected by many factors, including the number of chronic diseases, multiple medications taken, or physical condition. Moreover, current recommendations are inadequate because they fail to account for various factors such as chronic illnesses, multiple medications, and bodily changes that are crucial in diagnostic evaluations. There is a noticeable gap between these recommendations and actual clinical practice. Nevertheless, developing more precise, non-invasive biomarkers and personalized nutrition strategies has to be explored. One of these strategies we discuss in our review is multidisciplinary approaches that combine nutrition, physical activity, and psychosocial support. Addressing malnutrition among the elderly should rely on standardized protocols and personalized interventions to enhance their nutritional health and overall well-being.

The purpose of this study was to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies concerning associations between diet and the effectiveness of treatment for lung cancer. For this review, a literature search has been conducted in the EMBASE and PubMed databases, including papers published between 1977 and June 2022. The term “lung cancer” was used in conjunction with “diet”. Footnotes from the selected papers were also analyzed. The present study is in line with the recommendations included in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The review included studies involving adults, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort and observational studies. In total, 863 papers were found, with duplicates excluded. Ultimately, 20 papers were reviewed. The present systematic review indicates that vitamin A, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin E, selenium, and zinc—as antioxidants—can strengthen the body’s antioxidant barrier. Furthermore, preoperative immunonutrition may not only improve perioperative nutritional status following induction chemoradiotherapy in lung cancer surgery patients but also reduce the severity of postoperative complications. Similarly, a protein supply may exert a beneficial effect on human health by increasing average body weight and muscle mass. Omega-3 fatty acid content in the diet and the consumption of their main source, fish, may have some regulatory effect on inflammation in patients with lung cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, n-3 fatty acids inhibit tumor cell proliferation and may reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy. Increased energy and protein intake are strongly associated with improved quality of life, functional outcomes, hand grip strength, symptoms, and performance in patients with lung cancer. The use of a supportive diet should be the standard of care, alongside pharmaceutical therapy, in treatment for patients with lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and carries a greater degree of stigma. Lung cancer stigma contributes to social isolation and increases loneliness, which has an impact on quality of life, increases depressive symptoms and hence affects all aspects of functioning. Functioning is assessed in five dimensions (physical, psychological, cognitive, social and life roles). The aim of the study was to assess the impact of loneliness on the functioning, nutritional status and quality of life of patients with lung cancer. METHODS. The survey study was conducted among 310 lung cancer patients. The patients were asked to complete the Mini-MAC, HADS-M, MNA, EORTC QoL, AIS and VAS questionnaires. RESULTS. In total, 136 patients were lonely and 174 were married or in a relationship. Lonely patients had significant difficulty accepting their illness and demonstrated higher levels of depression. The factors most strongly associated with loneliness were being unemployed, age 61 or over and a less score in the constructive coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS. Loneliness is a significant factor affecting the functioning of patients with lung cancer. It increases the risk of anxiety and depression, reduces levels of illness acceptance, reduces levels of constructive coping and increases the risk of malnutrition.

(1) Rationing of nursing care is withholding, limiting or not fulfilling the necessary nursing activities for patients. It may have a negative effect on patient safety and the quality of care. The aim of the present paper is the assessment of the effect of stress on the rationing of nursing care. (2) The current research has a cross-sectional, observational design. The study sample comprised 567 nurses. The following questionnaires were used in the study PIRNCA and PSS-10. (3) It was demonstrated that nurses with a high level of perceived stress rationed nursing care to a greater extent and showed lower assessment of nursing care and lower job satisfaction in comparison with nurses with average and low levels of perceived stress. (4) 1. Stress in nurses has a negative effect on rationing of nursing care and job satisfaction. It is recommended that actions aimed at developing effective stress coping skills be implemented as early as at the stage of training to become a nurse. 2. Factors such as marital status, sex, form of employment, place of employment and the level of professional burnout syndrome may have an influence on the level of experienced stress. In turn, the level of experienced stress, marital status, education, place of work as well as the place of residence may have an effect on rationing of nursing care and, consequently, affect the quality of care.

Progressive cachexia and malnutrition severely impact the physical and mental condition of cancer patients. Pain is a prognostic factor for shorter survival in cancer patients, and coping strategies are crucial for adapting to treatment and dietary regimens. This study assessed pain levels, pain-related beliefs, and coping strategies as factors increasing malnutrition risk in 257 lung cancer patients. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire (BPCQ), and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) were used. Overall, 42.8% of patients were at risk of malnutrition, and 17.5% were malnourished. Nutritional status negatively correlated with CSQ domains: reinterpretation of pain (RP: rho = −0.194; p = 0.002), catastrophizing (CP: rho = −0.414; p = 0.001), ignoring pain (IP: rho = −0.198; p = 0.001), praying/hoping (PH: rho = −0.253; p < 0.001), and coping self-statements (CS: rho = −0.172; p = 0.006); and BPCQ domains: the power of doctors (PD: rho = −0.196; p = 0.002) and VAS (rho = −0.451; p < 0.001). Nutritional status positively correlated with CSQ domains: pain control (PC: rho = 0.499; p < 0.001) and the ability to reduce pain (AR: rho = 0.512; p < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, a better nutritional status was associated with a younger age (β = −0.094; p < 0.001), non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (β = 1.218; p = 0.037), a greater ability to reduce pain (CSQ-AR) (β = 0.901; p < 0.001), lower catastrophizing (CSQ-CP) (β = −0.165; p = 0.001), and lower pain perceived (VAS) (β = 0.639; p < 0.001). Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation and multivariate regression with a significance level of p < 0.05. Patients with a normal nutritional status had reduced doctor involvement in pain control, less frequent negative coping strategies, and more common positive coping strategies. A normal nutritional status correlates with lower perceived pain. A better nutritional status is linked to a younger age, NSCLC, lower pain levels, greater pain reduction ability, and lower scores in pain catastrophizing.

Background/Objectives: Assessing age-related health decline in the elderly is critical, yet standard metrics like Body Mass Index (BMI) can be misleading. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a popular method to assess body composition. This study evaluated the relationship between BIA-derived parameters, a comprehensive panel of laboratory biomarkers, and nutritional status in a cohort of Polish older adults. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 126 elderly participants (106 women, 20 men; mean age: 72.4 years), we performed multi-frequency segmental BIA to measure fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, and phase angle (PA). Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Venous blood samples were analyzed for a comprehensive panel of hematological, inflammatory (CRP), hormonal (leptin), and metabolic biomarkers. Results: The analysis characterized the body composition and biomarker profiles of the cohort. MNA-defined malnutrition risk was associated with significantly lower muscle mass and PA, and altered fluid distribution (higher extracellular-to-total body water ratio), but not with reduced fat mass. Adiposity correlated strongly with leptin and CRP. Hematological parameters were linked to lean mass, while zinc and albumin correlated with PA. Canonical analysis identified two distinct physiological axes: a dominant “adipo-hormonal” axis linking leptin to fat mass, and a secondary “metabolic–cellular integrity” axis linking zinc and iron status to Phase Angle and fluid balance. Conclusions: In older adults, nutritional risk is characterized by sarcopenia and fluid shifts, not low adiposity, highlighting the inadequacy of BMI. BIA parameters, especially the phase angle, may serve as promising indicators of cellular health that correlate strongly with key micronutrients, suggesting a potential role in complementary geriatric assessment.