Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the study participants with and without malnutrition

General information

Age, years

78.2 ± 7.5

82.0 ± 8.5

< 0.001

Male, n (%)

171 (94.5)

64 (88.9)

0.120

BMI, kg/m²

25.5 ± 3.4

23.2 ± 3.4

< 0.001

SBP, mmHg

129.2 ± 17.3

128.1 ± 15.9

0.663

DBP, mmHg

77.6 ± 56.1

70.5 ± 9.2

0.302

Diabetes, n (%)

61 (33.5)

24 (33.3)

0.978

Dyslipidemia, n (%)

111 (64.9)

46 (69.7)

0.486

Frailty, n (%)

102 (56.4)

54 (75.0)

0.006

Sarcopenia, n (%)

45 (27.8)

27 (46.6)

0.009

Muscle-related parameters

ASM, kg

21.2 (19.0 ~ 23.0)

18.8 (17.3 ~ 21.6)

< 0.001

SMI, kg/m²

7.3 (6.8 ~ 7.9)

7.0 (6.4 ~ 7.3)

< 0.001

Low SMI

45 (27.8)

27 (46.6)

0.009

Handgrip strength, kg

31.2 (25.9 ~ 35.3)

28.1 (20.9 ~ 32.5)

0.006

Low muscle strength

45 (31.0)

25 (47.2)

0.036

Gait speed (m/s)

0.9 (0.7 ~ 1.1)

1.0 (0.7 ~ 1.0)

0.471

Low gait speed

82 (46.3)

26 (38.8)

0.292

Clinical laboratory parameters

RBC, 10¹²/L

4.7 (4.4 ~ 5.0)

4.5 (4.2 ~ 4.7)

0.010

WBC, 10⁹ /L

5.9 (4.8 ~ 7.0)

5.7 (4.8 ~ 7.0)

0.958

PLT, 10⁹ /L

185.0 (158.0 ~ 214.0)

187.0 (170.0 ~ 224.8)

0.246

HGB, g/L

144.0 (134.0 ~ 150.0)

135.5 (130.0 ~ 145.5)

0.002

FBG, mmol/L

5.7 (5.3 ~ 6.4)

5.6 (5.2 ~ 6.2)

0.139

TG, mmol/L

1.3 (0.9 ~ 1.8)

1.1 (0.7 ~ 1.5)

0.001

TC, mmol/L

4.1 ± 1.0

4.4 ± 1.1

0.042

LDL-C, mmol/L

2.3 (1.8 ~ 2.9)

2.5 (1.8 ~ 3.0)

0.299

HDL-C, mmol/L

1.2 (1.0 ~ 1.4)

1.3 (1.1 ~ 1.5)

0.031

ALB, g/L

43.0 (41.0 ~ 44.0)

42.0 (41.0 ~ 43.0)

0.060

UA, µmol/L

347.5 (300.8 ~ 413.5)

346.0 (293.5 ~ 413.5)

0.842

CR, µmol/L

77.0 (66.0 ~ 91.0)

78.0 (70.0 ~ 94.3)

0.245

BUN, mmol/L

5.6 (4.5 ~ 6.8)

6.0 (4.8 ~ 6.9)

0.146

Serum amino acids

Tyr, umol/L

16.3 (14.3 ~ 18.2)

15.2 (12.5 ~ 16.5)

0.002

Trp, umol/L

17.4(15.3 ~ 19.4)

16.0(14.3 ~ 17.7)

0.002

Phe, umol/L

19.7(17.3 ~ 22.5)

18.4(15.8 ~ 20.7)

0.012

AAA, umol/L

53.5 (48.2 ~ 59.1)

50.0 (43.6 ~ 55.0)

0.002

Val, umol/L

40.0(35.1 ~ 43.7)

37.6(33.7 ~ 42.4)

0.037

Leu, umol/L

25.4(22.5 ~ 29.1)

25.6(21.8 ~ 27.1)

0.088

Ile, umol/L

12.4(11.2 ~ 14.5)

11.6(10.2 ~ 13.7)

0.015

BCAA, umol/L

77.8(70.1 ~ 86.9)

74.3(65.9 ~ 82.5)

0.030

Gln, umol/L

26.5(21.6 ~ 30.5)

25.2 (19.9 ~ 31.2)

0.304

Glu, umol/L

22.1 (18.7 ~ 25.0)

22.1(19.2 ~ 24.3)

0.955

Gly, umol/L

39.0(33.7 ~ 48.3)

40.8(36.0 ~ 51.3)

0.215

Ala, umol/L

51.8(42.7 ~ 58.2)

44.9(40.3 ~ 53.7)

0.003