Researchers looked at what happened when sick people who weren’t eating well enough started drinking special nutrition supplements as part of a complete health program. They compared how often these patients went to the hospital, visited the emergency room, and saw doctors before and after starting the supplements. The results showed that people who drank these nutrition supplements for 3-6 months needed fewer hospital stays, emergency room visits, and doctor appointments over the next year. This meant they spent less money on healthcare overall. The study suggests that giving people proper nutrition support can help them stay healthier and reduce the burden on hospitals.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether drinking special nutrition supplements as part of a complete nutrition program could help sick, malnourished people need fewer hospital visits and reduce healthcare costs
- Who participated: Adult patients who were referred to a nutrition clinic because they weren’t eating well enough or were at risk of not eating well. The exact number of patients wasn’t specified in the abstract, but they were followed for up to 12 months.
- Key finding: People who drank nutrition supplements for 3-6 months had significantly fewer hospital admissions, emergency room visits, doctor visits, and specialty clinic visits in the 12 months after starting the program. Healthcare costs also went down, with people receiving a special supplement with HMB (a muscle-building ingredient) saving even more money than those on standard supplements.
- What it means for you: If you or someone you know isn’t eating well due to illness, getting proper nutrition support through supplements combined with diet and exercise advice might help reduce the need for hospital care. However, this study looked at people with serious nutritional problems, so talk to your doctor about whether this applies to your situation.
The Research Details
This was a retrospective study, which means researchers looked back at medical records to see what happened to patients before and after they received nutrition care. Patients were given a nutrition program that lasted 3-6 months and included personalized diet advice, exercise recommendations, and daily nutrition supplements. Some patients received a standard nutrition supplement, while others received a special supplement enriched with HMB (a compound that helps preserve muscle). The researchers then checked hospital records to count how many times patients were admitted to the hospital, visited the emergency room, and saw different types of doctors during the 12 months before and after starting the program.
This type of study is important because it shows real-world results from actual patient care. By comparing what happened before and after the nutrition program, researchers could see if the program actually made a difference in how much healthcare people needed. This helps doctors understand whether investing time and money in nutrition support can save money overall by preventing hospital visits.
This study looked at actual patient records rather than conducting a controlled experiment, which means it shows what really happens in practice but can’t prove the supplements alone caused the improvements. The study included a special look at cancer patients, which strengthens the findings for that group. The fact that both types of supplements (standard and HMB-enriched) showed benefits suggests the nutrition program itself was helpful, with the HMB version providing extra advantages.
What the Results Show
Over 12 months after starting the nutrition program, patients had significantly fewer hospital admissions, emergency room visits, visits to their regular doctor, and visits to specialty doctors. These reductions were seen at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month checkpoints, showing the benefits lasted throughout the year. Healthcare costs dropped noticeably, with the average cost reduction being about 50% lower than before the program started. Patients who received the HMB-enriched supplement had even greater cost savings compared to those on the standard supplement, suggesting the special ingredient provided additional benefits.
For cancer patients specifically, those who received the HMB-enriched supplement were less likely to need to stop or reduce their cancer medications due to side effects or the medication not working well. This is important because it means the nutrition support helped them tolerate their cancer treatment better and stay on their prescribed doses.
Previous research has suggested that good nutrition helps sick people recover better, but this study provides strong evidence that nutrition support actually reduces the number of times people need hospital care. The finding that specialized supplements with HMB work better than standard supplements adds new information to what we knew before.
The study looked back at medical records rather than randomly assigning people to different groups, so we can’t be completely certain the supplements alone caused all the improvements. The exact number of patients studied wasn’t clearly stated in the abstract. The study was done in one healthcare system, so results might be different in other places or countries. We don’t know if all patients completed the full program or how well they followed the diet and exercise recommendations, which could have affected the results.
The Bottom Line
For people with serious nutritional problems due to disease, a complete nutrition program including supplements, diet advice, and exercise recommendations appears to reduce hospital visits and healthcare costs. The evidence is moderate to strong for this recommendation. If you have cancer or another serious illness affecting your nutrition, ask your doctor about whether a nutrition program with supplements might help you.
This research is most relevant for people with serious illnesses who aren’t eating well enough, including cancer patients, people recovering from surgery, and those with chronic diseases. Healthcare providers and hospital administrators should care about this because it shows nutrition support can save money while improving patient outcomes. People with mild nutritional concerns should talk to their doctor before assuming these results apply to them.
The study showed benefits starting at 3 months and continuing through 12 months. Most people would likely need to stick with the nutrition program for at least 3-6 months to see meaningful reductions in hospital visits. Benefits may continue as long as people maintain good nutrition habits.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track weekly doctor visits, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. Users can log each healthcare visit and note whether it was planned or unplanned. Over time, the app can show trends in healthcare utilization and help users see if their nutrition program is reducing the need for medical care.
- Users can set daily reminders to consume their nutrition supplement at the same time each day. The app can track supplement compliance with a simple yes/no check-in, helping users stay consistent with the 3-6 month program. Users can also log meals and exercise to monitor their complete nutrition program.
- Create a monthly dashboard showing healthcare visits compared to the previous month and the same month last year. Users can track trends in hospital admissions, ER visits, and doctor appointments. The app could send monthly summaries to help users and their healthcare providers see if the nutrition program is working.
This research shows that nutrition programs with supplements may help reduce hospital visits for people with serious nutritional problems, but individual results vary. This information is not a substitute for medical advice from your doctor. Before starting any nutrition supplement program, especially if you have cancer, are taking medications, or have other health conditions, consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian. Do not use this information to replace prescribed medical treatments or to make changes to your current healthcare plan without professional guidance.