The Value of Metabolites and Vitamins for the Assessment of Nutritional Status in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

This systematic review aims to summarize the currently available literature regarding the association of plasma metabolites and vitamins with the nutritional status in adult hospitalized patients. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE, and all studies comparing metabolite or vitamin levels in malnourished versus well-nourished hospitalized patients were included. Twenty-three studies were eligible for inclusion, representing 3803 hospitalized patients. Several metabolites involved in the metabolism of methionine, purine, glutathione, carnitine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan, as well as some vitamins, seem to be associated with malnutrition in hospitalized patients. These compounds can potentially be used to assess nutritional status.