The associations between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and all-cause, cancer-specific, and cardiovascular mortality in the U.S. population: a large-scale pooled survey.

Background: Previous studies have reported a close association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and various conditions. However, the association between the GNRI and mortality remains unclear. To examine the correlation between the GNRI and all-cause, cancer-specific, and cardiovascular mortality, this study was performed.

Methods: We analyzed elderly participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2016. The GNRI was calculated using body mass index and serum albumin. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn to compare the survival probability between the normal and decreased GNRI groups. Weighted multivariate Cox regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were employed to determine the linear and non-linear associations of the GNRI with all-cause, cancer-specific, and cardiovascular mortality.

Results: A total of 3,276 participants were included in the analysis. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the decreased GNRI group had a lower survival probability for all-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality (P < 0.001) but not for cardiovascular mortality (P > 0.05). In the full regression models, the decreased group had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.21-2.30, P = 0.002), and cancer-specific mortality (HR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.32-3.67, P = 0.003) than the normal group. For cardiovascular mortality, no significant association with GNRI (HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 0.60-3.22, P = 0.436) was detected. Notably, the RCS analysis identified a linear downward trend between the GNRI and all-cause, alongside cancer-specific mortalities (all P for overall < 0.05). The time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis unveiled the predictive power of the GNRI for 5-year all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular mortality was 0.754, 0.757, and 0.836, respectively, after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusions: Individuals with a decreased GNRI had increased risks of all-cause, and cancer-specific mortality. There were linear associations of the GNRI with all-cause, and cancer-specific mortality. Nutritional status should be carefully monitored, which may improve the overall prognosis for the general population.