PP440 - LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH POST-HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT : A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT PARENTERAL SUPPORT
PP440
LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH POST-HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT : A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT PARENTERAL SUPPORT
K. Hershkop1,*, H. Lerner1, Y. Ofran2, Y. Bar-On2
1Nutrition and dietetics, 2Hematology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Rationale: Weight loss may fail to capture functional deterioration in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. We investigated longitudinal changes in weight and hand grip strength (HGS) and whether parenteral nutrition (PN) alters these outcomes.
Methods: This pilot study included adults receiving allo-HSCT (July 2024–March 2026). Data on HGS (dynamometry) and weight were collected pre-transplant and at 3 months. Changes were assessed using paired tests, stratified by PN status. Correlation and ANCOVA models (adjusting for baseline strength) evaluated the relationship between weight and HGS.
Results: The cohort included 21 patients (mean age 55±13.8 years; 47.6% acute myeloid leukemia). Nearly half received PN (47.6%). Median hospital stay was 30 days (IQR: 21-47.5); mortality was observed in 7 patients. Significant declines were observed at 3 months: HGS decreased from 29.10 to 23.67 (mean loss 4.9±4.5; p=0.004) and weight from 72.69kg to 66.08kg (mean loss 5.7±6.68kg; p=0.002). Declines were more pronounced in PN patients. No association was found between weight and HGS changes (r=0.19, p=0.49). In adjusted analyses, baseline HGS strongly predicted follow-up strength, whereas weight change did not.
Conclusion: Weight and muscle strength decline significantly post-HSCT, particularly in patients requiring PN. Because weight changes do not correlate with functional loss, HGS is a more specific indicator of physiological recovery. Clinical protocols should include HGS to accurately track muscle wasting and guide nutritional support.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared