Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 3 months consumption of medical nutrition supplement (MNS) in adults complaining of generalized weakness and fatigue. BACKGROUND: Aging is accompanied by substantial changes in body composition which affects both physical abilities and appearance. After reaching a peak in early adult years, skeletal muscle mass and strength gradually decline (1). Despite its high prevalence, fatigue remains an often-neglected symptom. It is usually defined as a state related with the weakening and/or depletion of the individual’s physical and/or mental resources. Fatigue is strongly associated with poor physical performance (2). Proper balanced daily nutrition is vital for adults, which includes adequate levels of essential high-quality proteins, amino acids and complex carbohydrates to help meet adult nutritional needs (3,4). Therefore, in the present study, the short-term effects of MNS rich in proteins, hemo-nutrients and biotin in adults complaining of generalized weakness and fatigue were studied. DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study where MNS (MaxvidaTM) was given to 289 subjects (aged 18-45 years) between 1st March to 30th April 2019 and evaluated for their clinical data (age, weight, and BMI), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) at 1, 2 and 3 months. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 33.5 years in this study. A significant improvement in BMI was observed from baseline 22.3±0.3 to 22.8±0.2 at 3 months. Weight was found to increase from baseline 55.5±0.7 kg to 57.7±0.6 kg at 3rd months (p = 0.017). Statistically significant increase in Hb levels was observed from baseline 9.6±0.1 to 11.6±0.1 at 3 months (p=0.0001) due to MNS intake. There was a significant reduction in MFIS score from baseline 48.8±0.9 to 31.4±1.2 at 3 months (p=0.0001), and improvement in HHD score from 21.6±0.5 to 26.4±0.5 at 3 months (p = 0.001). No serious adverse effects were noticed during consumption. DISCUSSION: Poor nutritional status and advancing age can be the contributing factor of fatigue and decrease muscular strength. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety pattern of consuming MNS. Overall, at 3 months, there was a significant reduction in MFIS score by 17.4 points (p=0.0001), and improvement in HHD score by 4.8 (p = 0.001), showing increase in muscular response and improvement from fatigue. Hb levels also increased by 2.0% at the end of 3 months with overall statistical increase in BMR. Conclusion: MNS used in the study was found to be efficacious in improving the fatigue levels and muscle strength in subjects with no deleterious effects.