We are proud to share the publication of the new American Heart Association Scientific Statement, “Malnutrition and Cachexia in Inpatients With Acute Cardiac Conditions,” published in Circulation and chaired by NutritionHF leader Dr. Amanda Vest. The document highlights that malnutrition is common, clinically meaningful, and too often underrecognized in patients hospitalized with acute cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, and cardiogenic shock.
The statement emphasizes that nutritional assessment should be part of routine cardiovascular care, especially in the cardiac intensive care unit. It reviews practica strategies for screening and diagnosis, including the use of contemporary malnutrition frameworks, and underscores the prognostic importance of identifying nutrition risk early. The document also provides guidance on inpatient nutrition support, including early enteral nutrition when feasible, avoidance of prolonged unnecessary NPO status, and selective use of parenteral nutrition when enteral feeding is not possible.
Importantly, the statement moves the field beyond recognition alone and toward action. It outlines multidisciplinary opportunities to improve care across hospitalization, recovery, rehabilitation, and discharge planning, including dietitian-led interventions and food-access strategies. For clinicians, researchers, and patients alike, this statement reinforces a simple but critical message: nutrition is not ancillary to cardiovascular care, but fundamental to recovery and outcomes.
