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Can protein shakes help older veterans bounce back after surgery?

NCT ID NCT03073811

NEW Prevention Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether a high-protein diet before and after abdominal surgery helps older veterans recover better. Participants receive either 30 grams of protein three times a day for two weeks before and four weeks after surgery, or standard nutrition education with one daily supplement. The study measures physical function, how many people stick with the program, and how satisfied they are. The goal is to see if this approach is practical and worth testing in a larger trial.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a high-protein nutritional supplement (Ensure Max)
What this could lead to
If it works, a simple protein-rich diet could become a standard part of preparing older adults for major abdominal surgery, helping them recover strength and function faster.
What could go wrong
This is a small feasibility study of 50 veterans, so it may not show a clear benefit or apply to all older surgery patients. Drinking extra protein shakes can also be hard for some people to tolerate before and after surgery.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

50 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2017

Finished

Mar 2022

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Elective abdominal surgery * upper GI * colorectal * hepatobiliary * pancreatic * intra-abdominal * Abdominal aortic aneurysm * Referred to the VA Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health Clinic * Able to record dietary intake or has a proxy who can record dietary intake Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment * Unwillingness to be randomized to either intervention arm, submit to study testing, or continuously participate in the intervention for six weeks * Living in skilled nursing facility * No access to telephone

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Malnutrition nutritional deficiency disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Abdominal surgery Malnutrition Nutritional risk

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.