Cachexia Index and CRP–Triglyceride–Glucose Index as Prognostic Predictors in Cancer Hospitalized Patients
- 1Service of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- 2Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cancer cachexia is linked to poor oncological outcomes. The Cachexia Index (CXI) and the CRP–triglyceride–glucose index (CTI), composite markers of body composition, nutrition, and inflammation, have emerged as prognostic tools, but their value in hospitalized cancer patients remains unexplored. We evaluated their association with short- and long-term outcomes in this population. Methods: This retrospective, observational study included 139 hospitalized patients with active cancer by a Nutrition Unit during 2023. Nutritional status was assessed using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria; body composition was quantified by computed tomography (CT) imaging at L3 level. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to clinical deterioration, hospital readmission, and overall survival. Each index was analyzed as a continuous variable, in quartiles, by the median, and at an exploratory ROC-derived cut-off, using logistic and Cox regression. Results: CXI at its ROC-derived cut-off (<9.03; AUC 0.69) was associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 3.91; 95% CI 1.22–12.52; p = 0.022) and overall survival (HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.04–2.95; p = 0.035), unlike its continuous, quartile, and median forms. CTI at its cut-off (≥6.71; AUC 0.704) remained associated with ICU admission after adjustment for surgery and age (OR 5.52; 95% CI 1.64–18.54; p = 0.006) or surgery and myosteatosis (OR 4.94; 95% CI 1.48–16.47; p = 0.009), but not with survival. Conclusions: CXI and CTI show complementary, threshold-dependent prognostic value: CXI identifies in-hospital and long-term mortality risk, and CTI, more consistently than CXI, identifies ICU admission risk due to clinical deterioration. These exploratory findings need prospective, multicenter validation.
Related
- Response by Baudry et al to Letter Regarding Article “Interplay Between Acute Heart Failure and COPD in Patients Hospitalized for Dyspnea: Prognostic Insights From the PARADISE Cohort”
- Interest of the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI) as an assessment tool in hospitalized patients in geriatrics
- Prognostic Value of the C-Reactive Protein-to-Albumin Ratio in Patients Hospitalized with Atrioventricular Block: Association with In-Hospital Mortality and Temporary Pacemaker Requirement
- Prognostic value of the triglyceride–glucose index in patients with premature acute coronary syndrome
- Incidence and Predictors of Systemic Complications in Hospitalized Patients With Cervical Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
BibTeX
@article{lozanomartinez2026cachexia,
title = {{Cachexia Index and CRP–Triglyceride–Glucose Index as Prognostic Predictors in Cancer Hospitalized Patients}},
author = {Pablo Lozano-Martínez and Rosana Urdániz Borque and Gema González Fernández and Clara Fernández Rivera and Alba Gil-Pascual and Carlota Losfablos de Castro and José Antonio Gimeno Orna and Julia Ocón Bretón},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213705},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3705},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cachexia Index and CRP–Triglyceride–Glucose Index as Prognostic Predictors in Cancer Hospitalized Patients
AU - Pablo Lozano-Martínez
AU - Rosana Urdániz Borque
AU - Gema González Fernández
AU - Clara Fernández Rivera
AU - Alba Gil-Pascual
AU - Carlota Losfablos de Castro
AU - José Antonio Gimeno Orna
AU - Julia Ocón Bretón
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/08
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213705
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3705
AB - Background/Objectives: Cancer cachexia is linked to poor oncological outcomes. The Cachexia Index (CXI) and the CRP–triglyceride–glucose index (CTI), composite markers of body composition, nutrition, and inflammation, have emerged as prognostic tools, but their value in hospitalized cancer patients remains unexplored. We evaluated their association with short- and long-term outcomes in this population. Methods: This retrospective, observational study included 139 hospitalized patients with active cancer by a Nutrition Unit during 2023. Nutritional status was assessed using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria; body composition was quantified by computed tomography (CT) imaging at L3 level. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to clinical deterioration, hospital readmission, and overall survival. Each index was analyzed as a continuous variable, in quartiles, by the median, and at an exploratory ROC-derived cut-off, using logistic and Cox regression. Results: CXI at its ROC-derived cut-off (<9.03; AUC 0.69) was associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 3.91; 95% CI 1.22–12.52; p = 0.022) and overall survival (HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.04–2.95; p = 0.035), unlike its continuous, quartile, and median forms. CTI at its cut-off (≥6.71; AUC 0.704) remained associated with ICU admission after adjustment for surgery and age (OR 5.52; 95% CI 1.64–18.54; p = 0.006) or surgery and myosteatosis (OR 4.94; 95% CI 1.48–16.47; p = 0.009), but not with survival. Conclusions: CXI and CTI show complementary, threshold-dependent prognostic value: CXI identifies in-hospital and long-term mortality risk, and CTI, more consistently than CXI, identifies ICU admission risk due to clinical deterioration. These exploratory findings need prospective, multicenter validation.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -