PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Arora Ros Ingadottir AU - Anne Marie Beck AU - Christine Baldwin AU - Christine Elizabeth Weekes AU - Olof Gudny Geirsdottir AU - Alfons Ramel AU - Thorarinn Gislason AU - Ingibjorg Gunnarsdottir TI - Oral nutrition supplements and between-meal snacks for nutrition therapy in patients with COPD identified as at nutritional risk: a randomised feasibility trial AID - 10.1136/bmjresp-2018-000349 DP - 2019 Jan 01 TA - BMJ Open Respiratory Research PG - e000349 VI - 6 IP - 1 4099 - http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000349.short 4100 - http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000349.full SO - BMJ Open Resp Res2019 Jan 01; 6 AB - Introduction Intervention studies have mainly used oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) identified as at nutritional risk. In this 12-month randomised feasibility trial, we assessed the (1) feasibility of the recruitment, retention and provision of two interventions: ONS and between-meal snacks (snacks) and (2) the potential impact of the provision of snacks and ONS on body weight and quality of life in patients with COPD.Methods Hospitalised patients with COPD, at nutritional risk, were randomised to ONS (n=19) or snacks (n=15) providing 600 kcal and 22 g protein a day in addition to regular daily diet. The intervention started in hospital and was continued for 12 months after discharge from the hospital.Results Study recruitment rate was n=34 (45%) and retention rate at 12 months was similar for both groups: n=13 (68%) in the ONS group and n=10 (67%) in the Snacks group. Both groups gained weight from baseline to 12 months (2.3±4.6 kg (p=0.060) in the ONS group and 4.4±6.4 kg (p=0.030) in the Snacks group). The St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score improved from baseline to 12 months in both groups (score 3.9±11.0 (p=0.176) in the ONS group and score 8.9±14.1 (p=0.041) in the Snacks group).Discussion In patients with COPD who are at nutritional risk snacks are at least as feasible and effective as ONS, however, adequately powered trials that take account of the difficulties in recruiting this patient group are required to confirm this effect.