NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT AND MUSCLE ENERGY-METABOLISM IN SEVERE CHRONICCONGESTIVE-HEART-FAILURE - EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION

In order to investigate nutritional status in relation to the metaboli c state of skeletal muscle in patients with severe congestive heart fa ilure, and to explore the influence of long-term dietary supplementati on, 22 patients were randomized in a double-blind study to receive eit her a placebo (n=13) or high caloric fluid (n=9). Before treatment, th e muscle content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine and glycoge n was lower than in healthy individuals, and muscle biopsies revealed an excess of water. Two patients were found to be malnourished accordi ng to nutritional assessment criteria. Following study treatment, no s ignificant changes occurred, either within or between the two subgroup s. Thus, patients with severe congestive heart failure displayed metab olic derangement in skeletal muscle which did not seem to be explained by malnutrition.