Usefulness of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index for Sarcopenia Screening in Older Inpatients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), a malnutrition screening tool, for screening sarcopenia in older inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: A secondary cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from 95 patients aged ≥65 years who were hospitalized for CAP between April 2017 and March 2019. The GNRI was used to assess nutritional status, and sarcopenia was diagnosed on the basis of the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic performance of GNRI. Results: Among participants, 27%, 28%, and 17% had mild, moderate, and severe malnutrition risk, respectively. The prevalence rate of sarcopenia was 59%. The GNRI showed good discriminatory ability for sarcopenia (area under the curve = 0.845; 95% confidence interval: 0.763–0.926). The optimal GNRI cutoff was 91.9, with a sensitivity and specificity of 85.5% and 75.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The GNRI may be a simple and effective tool for screening sarcopenia in older patients with CAP. Early identification may support timely intervention and improve outcomes in geriatric care.