Development and validation of a prognostic nomogram based on objective nutritional indexes in ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion undergoing endovascular thrombectomy

Preserved nutritional status in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is important but lacks an effective evaluation method. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of objective nutritional indexes (ONIs) in LVO patients after EVT that were validated by studies in patients with other vascular diseases receiving intervention therapy and to develop a functional prediction nomogram for better stroke management. LVO patients undergoing EVT from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively enrolled and randomly classified into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The ONIs, including the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), were calculated. A stepwise logistic regression model for 3-month poor functional outcome based on the smallest Akaike information criterion was employed to develop the nomogram, and the nomogram's determination and clinical use were tested by area under the curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis and compared with three earlier prognostic models. A total of 418 patients were enrolled. The CONUT independently related and increased the risk of 3-month poor functional outcome with an OR of 1.387 (95% CI: 1.133–1.698, p = 0.002). A nomogram including CONUT and other seven factors (AIC = 274.568) was developed. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.847 (95% CI: 0.799–0.894) and 0.836 (95% CI: 0.755–0.916) in the training and validation cohort, respectively, with better predictive performance and clinical utility than previous models. The CONUT independently related to the poor functional outcome, and the newly established nomogram reliably predicted the functional outcome in LVO patients after EVT. •Malnutrition assessed by ONIs in acute ischemic stroke patients with LVO is common.•Malnutrition defined by CONUT is independently related to the poor functional outcome in patients with LVO undergoing EVT.•Nasogastric tube feeding is a risk factor for poor functional outcome at 3 months in LVO patients who underwent EVT.•An ONI-based nomogram was developed and validated with better predictive performance than previous models.