The impact of nutritional support on malnourished inpatients with aging-related vulnerability

•This secondary analysis of the randomized clinical Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial found a >50% reduction in mortality at 30 d in hospitalized patients with aging-related vulnerability at nutritional risk when receiving protocol-guided individualized nutritional support to reach specific protein and energy goals compared with patients receiving standard usual hospital food.•Significant improvements in patients receiving nutritional support were also found for longer-term mortality at 180 d.•Individualized nutritional support also improved functional outcomes and quality of life over 30 d and 180 d.•These data support the early screening of hospitalized patients with aging-related vulnerability at nutritional risk, followed by the implementation of individualized nutritional interventions.