Analyses of subgroups indicated that the beneficial effect of early feeding is more evident in the sickest patients, that is, patients receiving multiple vasopressors, and in patients without early improvement, that is, patients who required vasopressors for more than 2 days. Also, the effect was present when data on patients who were likely to die after ICU discharge were excluded. Finally, the results did not change significantly when the outcomes were assessed at 28 days.