Mean (SD) within-group differences in absolute and percentage changes from baseline for outcome variables after 3 months of multimodal nutritional rehabilitation and mean (SEM) between-group differences adjusted for sex, age and parameter value at baseline
| Within-group changes | Between-group differences | |||
| Control | Rehabilitation | Mean differences | p Value | |
| Exercise tolerance | ||||
| 6MWD, m | −1.7 (62.1) | 12.1 (86.9) | 20.0 (13.9) | 0.153 |
| 6MWD, % baseline | −5.2 (46.8) | 34.5 (153.4) | ||
| 6MWD, % predicted | −0.2 (10.0) | 01.6 (12.8) | 2.92 (2.12) | 0.173 |
| Pmax, Watts | −2.8 (8.5) | 4.9 (8.9) | 7.2 (1.7) | <0.001 |
| Pmax, % | −5.1 (23.4) | 16.5 (30.8) | ||
| Time to exhaustion, min | −1.40 (4.68) | 4.77 (8.87) | 5.95 (1.43) | <0.001 |
| Time to exhaustion, % | −13.9 (36.2) | 79.2 (124.3) | ||
| Quadriceps isometric force, N | 0.55 (50.8) | 28.6 (50.0) | 28.3 (10.6) | 0.009 |
| Quadriceps isometric force, % | −0.4 (24.4) | 23.4 (70.0) | ||
| Nutritional status | ||||
| Weight, kg | 0.20 (2.70) | 1.76 (2.93) | 1.65 (0.54) | 0.003 |
| Weight, % | 0.37 (4.54) | 2.99 (5.05) | ||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 0.09 (0.96) | 0.62 (1.04) | 0.56 (0.19) | 0.004 |
| BMI, % | 0.37 (4.54) | 2.99 (5.05) | ||
| FFM, kg | −0.49 (3.62) | 1.47 (3.04) | 1.75 (0.64) | 0.007 |
| FFM, % | −0.53 (7.47) | 3.27 (6.82) | ||
| FFMI, kg/m2 | −0.15 (1.28) | 0.51 (1.08) | 0.60 (0.23) | 0.010 |
| FFMI, % | −0.53 (7.47) | 3.27 (6.82) | ||
| Serum transthyretin, mg/l | 2.9 (62.4) | 38.4 (57.7) | 37.7 (10.3) | <0.001 |
| Serum transthyretin, % | 8.6 (38.0) | 24.9 (42.1) | ||
| Haemoglobin, g/l | −5.6 (20.4) | 2.8 (9.9) | 9.11 (3.33) | 0.008 |
| Haemoglobin, % | −3.59 (15.1) | 2.19 (6.94) | ||
| Bioavailable plasma testosterone, pg/l | ||||
| Men | −0.3 (33.0) | 1.2 (63.1) | 0.2 (11.3) | 0.990 |
| Women | −0.07 (0.72) | 25.68 (27.83) | 30.8 (7.16) | <0.001 |
| Quality of life, CRQ | ||||
| All | 2.5 (13.8) | 7.6 (14.7) | 4.6 (2.5) | 0.068 |
| Men | 2.9 (12.1) | 5.1 (13.2) | 1.4 (2.7) | 0.617 |
| Women | 1.5 (17.4) | 17.7 (17.0) | 16.5 (5.4) | 0.006 |
| Quality of life, MRF-28 | ||||
| All | 0.4 (3.2) | −0.7 (4.6) | −1.20 (0.74) | 0.106 |
| Men | 0.5 (3.2) | −0.6 (5.0) | −0.90 (0.92) | 0.336 |
| Women | 0.3 (3.2) | −1.1 (2.3) | −2.39 (1.04) | 0.031 |
%, percentage change from baseline; BMI, body mass index; CRQ, Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire; FFM, fat-free mass; FFMI, fat-free mass index; MRF, Maugeri Foundation Respiratory Failure Questionnaire; Pmax, peak workload on bicycle; 6MWD, 6-min walking distance; time to exhaustion, endurance time on bicycle at 55% of Pmax in minutes.