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Table 2 Demographic and disease characteristics of the included patientsb

From: Effects of whole-body electromyostimulation combined with individualized nutritional support on body composition in patients with advanced cancer: a controlled pilot trial

Parameter

WB-EMS

n

Control

n

p-value

Gender

    

0.270c

 Male

57 (59.4%)

 

17 (48.6%)

  

 Female

39 (40.6%)

 

18 (51.4%)

  

Age

60.3 ± 13.1

96

59.1 ± 11.6

35

0.541d

Functional status

 Performance status [Karnofsky index]

75.7 ± 10.1

96

76.6 ± 10.0

35

0.517d

 Hand grip strength [kg]

36.5 ± 12.0

88

38.8 ± 15.0

33

0.616d

 Six-minute walking distance [m]

505.7 ± 118.0

78

483.1 ± 126.8

31

0.378e

Nutritional status

 

96

 

35

 

 Body weight [kg]

74.4 ± 14.9

 

74.9 ± 16.9

 

0.773d

 BMI [kg/m2]

24.9 ± 3.8

 

25.5 ± 5.2

 

0.707d

 Fat mass [%]

29.6 ± 7.5

 

29.9 ± 8.6

 

0.833e

 Fat free mass index [kg/m2]

17.5 ± 2.6

 

17.4 ± 3.2

 

0.864e

 Phase angle [°]

4.5 ± 0.8

 

4.5 ± 0.7

 

0.898e

 Hydration [%]

86.4 ± 11.5

 

86.3 ± 9.2

 

0.970d

 Skeletal muscle mass [kg]

23.5 ± 6.0

 

23.6 ± 7.0

 

0.950d

 Nutritional risk screening

    

0.210c

   < 3

35 (36.5%)

 

17 (48.6%)

  

   ≥ 3

61 (63.5%)

 

18 (51.4%)

  

 Nutritional therapy

    

0.539c

  Only dietary counseling

65 (67.7%)

 

21 (60.0%)

  

  Oral supplementation

25 (26.0%)

 

11 (31.4%)

  

  Feeding tube

2 (2.1%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Parenteral

4 (4.2%)

 

3 (8.6%)

  

 Mean daily nutrient/caloric intake during participation [per kg body weight]

 

89

 

29

 

  Carbohydrates [g]

3.4 ± 1.2

 

3.4 ± 1.5

 

0.567d

  Fat [g]

1.2 ± 0.5

 

1.3 ± 0.6

 

0.841d

  Protein [g]

1.3 ± 0.6

 

1.3 ± 0.5

 

0.604d

  Calories [kcal]

30.9 ± 9.3

 

32.1 ± 13.1

 

0.988d

Disease characteristics

 Cancer sites

  Head and Neck

4 (4.2%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Esophagus

1 (1.0%)

 

2 (5.7%)

  

  Stomach

9 (9.4%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Colon

13 (13.5%)

 

8 (22.9%)

  

  Rectum

6 (6.3%)

 

5 (14.3%)

  

  Pancreas

5 (5.2%)

 

7 (20.0%)

  

  Liver

3 (3.1%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Bile duct

2 (2.1%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Lung

15 (15.6%)

 

3 (8.6%)

  

  Prostate

11 (11.5%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Kidney

7 (7.3%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Breast

12 (12.5%)

 

4 (11.4%)

  

  Ovary

3 (3.1%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Others

5 (5.2%)

 

2 (5.7%)

  

 UICC stage

    

0.165c

  III

28 (29.2%)

 

6 (17.1%)

  

  IV

68 (70.8%)

 

29 (82.9%)

  

 Ongoing anti-cancer therapy

    

0.082c

  Chemotherapy

46 (47.9%)

 

21 (60.0%)

  

  Radiotherapy

7 (7.3%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Chemoradiation

3 (3.1%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Targeted therapy

14 (14.6%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Hormonal therapy

6 (6.3%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Chemotherapy + Targeted therapy

11 (11.5%)

 

10 (28.6%)

  

  Chemotherapy + Hormonal therapy

4 (4.2%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

  Radiotherapy + Hormonal therapy

3 (3.1%)

 

0 (0.0%)

  

  Others

2 (2.1%)

 

1 (2.9%)

  

 Previous cancer-related surgery

68 (70.8%)

 

20 (57.1%)

 

0.140c

 Number of current medications

3.3 ± 2.7

96

3.8 ± 2.6

35

0.328d

  Comorbiditiesa

  Cardiovascular disease

30 (31.3%)

 

7 (20.0%)

 

0.206c

  Thyroid disease

27 (28.1%)

 

10 (28.6%)

 

0.960c

  Pulmonary disease

20 (20.8%)

 

11 (31.4%)

 

0.230c

  Diabetes mellitus

12 (12.5%)

 

4 (11.4%)

 

0.838c

  Renal failure

5 (5.2%)

 

2 (5.7%)

 

0.919c

  Liver disease

3 (3.1%)

 

3 (8.8%)

 

0.187c

  Pancreatitis

2 (2.1%)

 

1 (2.9%)

 

0.800c

Laboratory values

 Erythrocytes [×106/μl]

4.18 (2.62–5.30)

85

4.18 (3.48–5.10)

32

0.176e

 Hemoglobin [g/dl]

12.7 (7.7–15.0)

85

12.3 (8.8–15.4)

32

0.588d

 Hematocrit [%]

37.1 (22.8–45.7)

85

36.5 (28.2–44.8)

32

0.739e

 Leucocytes [× 103/μl]

5.1 (1.2–18.9)

85

5.8 (3.1–8.8)

32

0.349d

 Thrombocytes [× 103/μl]

209.0 (84.0–1014.0)

85

198.0 (74.0–444.1)

32

0.342d

 Creatinine [mg/dl]

0.85 (0.47–1.41)

81

0.82 (0.51–1.01)

30

0.120e

 Total protein [g/l]

66.3 (49.9–80.5)

65

68.5 (39.7–82.6)

22

0.232d

 Albumin [g/l]

40.7 (26.7–48.1)

66

41.7 (28.4–46.7)

22

0.528d

 CRP [mg/l]

5.2 (0.2–155.2)

78

5.2 (1.0–48.9)

30

0.880d

  1. Abbreviations: CRP C-reactive protein, CUP Cancer of unknown primary, WB-EMS Whole-body electromyostimulation
  2. aNote: Number of patients for comorbidities includes also patients with several comorbidities
  3. bData are presented in numbers and proportions (%) and as mean ± standard deviation. Laboratory values are expressed as median and range (minimum to maximum value). Statistically significant differences are indicated by p ≤ 0.05
  4. cPearson’s Chi-squared test
  5. dMann-Whitney-U-test
  6. eIndependent samples t-test
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