Malnutrition: Adults (18+)

Malnutrition: Adults (18+)

Welcome to the Medical Nutrition Therapy for Adults with Malnutrition Systematic Review
 

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is defined as inadequate intake of protein and/or calories.  It affects nearly 800 million people worldwide and can result from starvation, chronic or acute disease, and inflammation. PEM contributes to poor health outcomes, longer hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and increased healthcare costs—yet it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT), delivered by dietitians, is a standardized, evidence-based approach to nutrition care. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine the effectiveness of MNT in improving nutrition status and related outcomes in adults with PEM to inform strategies for enhancing patient care and improving health outcomes. 

• Nutrition status
• Mortality
• Length of stay
• Hospital readmissions
• Quality of Life
• Weight
• Physical Function
• Cost-Effectiveness

Key Findings:

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 11 studies (9 RCTs, 1 non-randomized controlled trial, 1 retrospective cohort) with a total of 86,740 participants. Findings suggest that MNT may reduce length of stay, increase weight, and improve quality of life in patients with PEM (not all studies and participants contributed to each outcome analysis). The impact of MNT on nutrition status, mortality, and other outcomes is largely uncertain, with conflicting results across study types and study settings for most outcomes.

Use the links on the left to view the results of the systematic review. Expand the section below titled Project Team and Disclosures for a listing of the individuals who contributed to the development of this project, conflict of interest disclosures, and project funding information.

Article: Moloney L, Chacón V, Devarakonda SLS, Scollard T, Jones S, Rozga M, Handu D. Effectiveness of Medical Nutrition Therapy Provided by Dietitians on Nutrition and Health Outcomes in Adults with Protein-Energy Malnutrition: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025 Mar 15:S2212-2672(25)00107-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2025.03.005. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40096887

• Medical Nutrition Therapy for Adults with Malnutrition Systematic Review Project Team and Disclosures (2023-2024)

  The following individuals contributed their valuable time and expertise to this project:

  Content Advisors

  • Lisa Moloney, PhD, RDN
    Nutrition Researcher; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL, USA
     
  • Violeta Chacón, PhD
    Postdoctoral Research Associate; Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, USA
     
  • Terese Scollard, MBA, RDN
    Owner, MySurgeryPlate LLC, Beaverton, OR, USA
     
  • Samira Jones, PhD, RDN
    Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland, Global Campus, Adelphi, MD, USA
     
  • Mary Rozga, PhD, RDN
    Nutrition Researcher, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL, USA
     
  • Deepa Handu, PhD, RDN
    Senior Scientific Director, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL, USA
     

  Project Team

  • Project Manager and Methodologist: 
    Lisa Moloney, PhD, RDN
    Nutrition Researcher, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, IL, USA

   

  • Sri Lakshmi S. Devarakonda, PhD, RDN
    Research Scientist, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
     

  Financial Contributors

  • This research was funded by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation’s Evidence Analysis Library Research Endowment.  Funders had no involvement or restrictions on manuscript preparation or publication.

             The views or interests of the funding bodies did not influence the development of the systematic review.

  Disclosures of Potential Conflicts of Interest

  In the interest of full disclosure, the Academy has adopted the policy of revealing relationships workgroup members have with companies that sell products or services that are relevant to this topic within 5 years of the start of the project through completion of the project. Workgroup members are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest by completing the Academy Conflict of Interest Form. It should not be assumed that these financial interests will have an adverse impact on the content, but they are noted here to fully inform readers.