Geriatric nutritional risk index predicts in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with cerebral infarction

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) for in-hospital mortality among elderly patients with cerebral infarction.

Methods: Patients aged ≥60 years with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction were extracted from the MIMIC-IV database. GNRI was calculated using height, weight, and serum albumin. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Restricted cubic spline regression, univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and forest plot visualization were performed to assess the prognostic significance of GNRI.

Results: A total of 746 patients were included, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 30.2%. GNRI was significantly lower in non-survivors (86.43) than survivors (88.00), p<0.001. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated GNRI as an independent predictor of mortality (OR per 1-unit increase, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.87–0.96). The restricted cubic spline showed a near-linear inverse relationship (p overall <0.001, p nonlinear = 0.654).

Conclusion: GNRI is a significant and independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in elderly cerebral infarction patients and may aid clinical risk stratification.