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The Nutritional Health for the Elderly Reference Centre Study (The NHERC Study)

A Prospective Randomized Double Blind Clinical Study to Determine the Clinical Impact of ONS in Community-dwelling Elderly

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03245047
Acronym
NHERC
Enrollment
811
Registered
2017-08-10
Start date
2017-08-30
Completion date
2020-03-10
Last updated
2021-03-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Malnutrition

Brief summary

The prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly in Asia is high. The objective of this randomized, parallel, placebo controlled, double-blind study is to evaluate the effects of consuming an adult ONS plus dietary counseling (intervention group) for 180 days on nutritional status and unexpected hospital (re)admission, compared with a placebo supplement plus dietary counseling (control group).

Detailed description

This randomized controlled trial will involve 800 elderly who are at risk of undernutrition (MUST score ≥ 1). Participants will be screened for eligibility. Recruitment will be at the polyclinic and in the inpatient ward prior to their discharge from the hospital. Participants will be randomized to intervention group vs. control group at the baseline visit at the clinical trial research unit where baseline measurements and baseline survey using the study specific questionnaires will be performed. Participants will be followed up prospectively at Day 30, Day 90, Day 180 (exit visit), and Day 360 (post-intervention follow-up visit). Repeated measures will be performed at the pre-defined time points. Intention-to-treat analysis comparing intervention group vs. control group will be performed to study the effect of ONS on primary composite outcome consisting of (i) change in body weight from baseline to Day 180 or (ii) unexpected admission to the hospital over 180-day intervention period. The effect of ONS on nutritional status will be examined by comparing the biochemical and anthropometric measurements of intervention group vs. control group at Day 180. Other outcomes such as changes in functional assessment, nutritional knowledge levels, and quality of life will also be examined. There will be a follow up visit at Day 360.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTOral Nutritional Supplement with AN 777

Oral Nutritional Supplement with AN 777, 2 servings a day

OTHEROral Nutritional Supplement

Oral Nutritional Supplement, 2 servings a day

Sponsors

Changi General Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
SingHealth Polyclinics
CollaboratorOTHER
Abbott Nutrition
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

This study is double-blinded, i.e., during the study, neither the investigator(s), study and appropriate Abbott Nutrition staff, nor participants will be informed of the identity of any of the study products. Study center personnel will not analyze the contents of the study products or in any way seek to learn the identity of the study products. The investigator should ensure that if it becomes necessary, blinding is broken only in accordance with the protocol.

Intervention model description

This is a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, parallel design, multi-center study. Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: oral nutritional supplement with dietary counseling group or placebo supplement with dietary counseling group. Randomization will be stratified by MUST malnutrition status (medium risk or high risk) and site of recruitment. All participants, including both recently discharged patients from the hospital or elderly recruited from the polyclinics.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to 110 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Male or female participant aged ≥65 years. 2. Community-dweller, i.e. not staying in a residential intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) service institution. 3. Participant is being discharged home directly (applicable for hospital cohort). 4. Participant is community ambulant with or without aid. 5. Participant does not have any chronic disease(s) or has stable chronic disease(s) including hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease in the opinion of the Study Physician, at study entry 6. Participant has voluntarily signed and dated an informed consent form (ICF), approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and provided authorization prior to any participation in the study. 7. Participants will be able to communicate and follow instructions. 8. Participant is able to consume food and beverages orally. 9. Participant has been identified as at risk of undernutrition as defined by Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. 10. Participant is willing to refrain from taking non-study oral nutritional supplements including protein powder over the entire course of the study. 11. Participant is able and willing to follow study procedures and record data in diary and complete any forms or assessments needed throughout the study, with or without the help of the caregivers.

Exclusion criteria

1. Participant has been diagnosed with dementia according to medical records. 2. Participant has been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes according to medical records. (Note: This includes participant with controlled diabetes.) 3. Participant has any active infectious disease (such as tuberculosis, Hepatitis B or C, HIV infection) according to medical records. 4. Participant has been diagnosed with severe gastrointestinal disorders including celiac disease, short bowel syndrome, pancreatic insufficiency, or cystic fibrosis according to medical records. 5. Participant has been diagnosed with end stage organ or pre-terminal diseases or acute myocardial infarction within the last 30 days from the screening according to medical records. 6. Participant has malignancy according to medical records. 7. Participant has any other clinically significant medical condition, which in the investigator's opinion, makes him or her unsuitable for inclusion in the study. 8. Participant is taking part in another study that has not been approved as a concomitant study by the study team. 9. Participant has been diagnosed or is known to be allergic or intolerant to milk products. 10. Participant has continuous ONS usage for 30 days prior to the screening.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Primary composite outcome consisting of change in body weight and unexpected hospital admissionbaseline to Day 180(i) change in body weight from baseline to Day 180 or (ii) unexpected admission to the hospital over 180-day intervention period (Death before any unexpected admission to the hospital will be counted as a hospitalization event)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Fat mass and fat free massBaseline, 30 days, 90 days and 180 days]Fat mass and fat free mass in kilograms will be measured using Tanita MC-780
Length of stay of unexpected hospital admission(s)90 days & 180 daysUnexpected admission to the hospital over 90-day and 180-day intervention periods

Countries

Singapore

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 25, 2026