Nutritional screening before heart surgery

Nutritional Screening in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust · NCT07409519

This project will test whether simple nutrition questionnaires, body measurements, and blood tests taken before heart surgery can help predict recovery time and complications in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment250 (estimated)
Ages40 Years to 85 Years
SexAll
SponsorHull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (other gov)
Locations1 site (Hull, E. Riding Yorkshire)
Trial IDNCT07409519 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a cross-sectional preoperative study enrolling patients scheduled for cardiac surgery who can complete English-language questionnaires and provide consent. Investigators collect routine malnutrition tools (MUST, NRS), diet-quality measures (NOVA ultra-processed food intake, Mediterranean diet score), blood and urine biomarkers (including PNI and CONUT), grip strength, and detailed body composition (fat mass, fat-free mass, segmental analysis, visceral fat). Participants also complete questionnaires on sleep, recent physical activity, stress, anxiety, and depression. These measures will be linked to clinical outcomes such as mechanical ventilation time, ICU and hospital length of stay, and SCTS-defined complications to identify which nutritional screens predict poorer recovery.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults undergoing planned cardiac surgery at Hull University Teaching Hospitals who can read English and provide written consent are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients who require emergency surgery or who cannot complete English-language questionnaires or provide consent are unlikely to benefit from this preoperative screening approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could help clinicians identify patients who need nutritional support before surgery to reduce complications and shorten ICU or hospital stays.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked malnutrition scores and biomarkers with worse surgical outcomes, but combining detailed diet-quality measures and body composition in the preoperative setting is less commonly tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

• No pre-specified inclusion criteria to ensure we recruit a representative group of patients.

Exclusion Criteria:

* All patients without proficiency in English that allows completion of questionnaires
* Unable to provide written consent

Where this trial is running

Hull, E. Riding Yorkshire

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases, Nutrition, Screening, Cardiac surgery, Clincial outcomes

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.