Prevalence of cachexia and outcomes in patients with chronic diseases : a national database analysis of 5 484 103 hospitalisations

Lainščak, Mitja (author), Zupanič, Tina (author), Omersa, Daniel (author), Eržen, Ivan (author), Farkaš-Lainščak, Jerneja (author)

Background: Cachexia is a frequent companion of chronic diseases and a well-established predictor of poor patient perfor- mance and outcome. Since cachexia as a discharge diagnosis is not much investigated, we aimed to investigate prevalence of cachexia in hospitalised patients and their outcome. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the National Hospital Health Care Statistics Database using the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases codes. During period 2004–2019, patients with cachexia were identified, as well as patients with cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease. The primary endpoint was the discharge code of cachexia; secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay, in-hospital and post discharge all-cause mortality. Results: In period 2004–2019, 5 484 103 hospitalisations were screened; cachexia was coded 19 348 times (0.35%) in 14 089 pa- tients (67 ± 13 years, 42% women). From 2004 to 2019, prevalence of cachexia increased steadily from 1.2% to 1.9%, which was most prominent for cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. At one year post discharge, 49% patients with cachexia were dead as compared to 26% in patients without cachexia. In Cox multivariate analysis, cachexia predicted post- discharge death in any of chronic diseases (hazard ratio of 1.28 in heart failure to 1.47 in chronic kidney disease). Conclusions: In our report from a National Hospital Health Care Statistics Database, we found that cachexia was underreported as ICD-10 coded discharge diagnosis in patients with chronic diseases. When diagnosed, it was associated with higher hazard of post discharge mortality.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cachexia, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, mortality
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181749
• UDC: 614
• ISSN on article: 2190-6009
• DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13688
• COBISS.SI-ID: 225289987
• Publication date in RUL: 15.04.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle
• Shortened title: J. cachexia sarcopenia muscle
• Publisher: Wiley & Sons
• ISSN: 2190-6009
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522763289

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: rak, kronične ledvične bolezni, KOPB, srčno popuščanje, umrljivost

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J3-3076-2021
• Name: Ledvična disfunkcija in hiperkaliemija pri srčnem popuščanju, povezana z inhibitorji sistema renin-angiotenzin-aldosteron: epidemiologija, prognoza in vezalci kalija

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J3-9292-2018
• Name: Breme kaheksije in sarkopenije pri bolnikih s kroničnimi boleznimi: epidemiologija, patofiziologija in izidi