The Nutrition Risk Index (NRI) uses which two objective criteria?

• A. Serum albumin; Body mass index
• B. Serum albumin; Ratio of current weight to usual weight
• C. Serum prealbumin; Weight change
• D. Transferrin; Serum albumin

Answer: (B)

NRI is built from a biochemical marker and a weight-based measure to gauge nutritional risk. The two objective criteria it uses are serum albumin, reflecting visceral protein status, and the ratio of current weight to usual weight, capturing recent weight loss. This combination leverages both a protein-level indicator and a tangible change in body weight.

In practice, the score is calculated as: NRI = (1.519 × serum albumin in g/L) + (0.417 × current weight / usual weight × 100). This makes serum albumin and the current-to-usual weight ratio the essential inputs.

Other options mix markers not part of the index (like prealbumin or transferrin) or use measures not in the standard calculation (such as BMI or weight change alone), so they don’t align with how the NRI is defined.