PD824 - IMPACT OF BMI-ADJUSTED MID-UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCE AND CALF CIRCUMFERENCE ON GLIM-BASED MALNUTRITION DIAGNOSIS IN CANCER PATIENTS

PD824

IMPACT OF BMI-ADJUSTED MID-UPPER ARM CIRCUMFERENCE AND CALF CIRCUMFERENCE ON GLIM-BASED MALNUTRITION DIAGNOSIS IN CANCER PATIENTS

A. MISOTTI^1,*, S. Bevilacqua¹, C. Cappellini², S. Colatruglio¹, S. Corvasce¹, V. Ferri¹, A. Gotti², G. Preziati¹, S. Della Valle¹

¹Clinical Nutrition, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, ²Speciality School of Nutrition Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

Rationale: GLIM criteria are recommended for diagnosing malnutrition, but their application may be limited by variability in anthropometric measures. Adjusting Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) and Calf Circumference (CC) for BMI may improve diagnostic accuracy in cancer patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in cancer outpatients referred to our service between August 2023 and February 2026. MUAC and CC were measured and used to assess reduced Muscle Mass (MM) according to GLIM criteria. Standard cut-offs were compared with BMI-adjusted cut-offs for MUAC and CC. Malnutrition prevalence and its severity were compared between adjusted and non-adjusted approaches.

Results: N. 266 cancer outpatients were included (56% men; mean value: age 63,1 yrs, MUAC 27,5 cm, adjusted MUAC 26,2 cm, CALF 35,3 cm, adjusted CALF 33,9 cm). The table shows how the use of BMI-adjusted cut-offs modified the classification of reduced muscle mass and GLIM-based malnutrition diagnosis. Compared with standard cut-offs, BMI-adjusted values resulted in a different prevalence of malnutrition and redistribution between moderate and severe categories. A proportion of patients classified as well-nourished with standard cut-offs were reclassified as malnourished when BMI-adjusted thresholds were applied.

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Conclusion: BMI adjustment of MUAC and CC influences GLIM-based malnutrition diagnosis in cancer patients. Incorporating BMI-adjusted cut-offs may improve malnutrition identification and stratification, with potential implications for clinical nutritional assessment. Future studies should define disease-specific cut-offs for cancer patients.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared