Clinical study of nutritional status in elderly patients with benign respiratory disease

Abstract

Objective To investigate the nutritional status in elderly patients with benign respiratory disease and assess the correlation between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Methods A prospective study of the elderly patients with benign respiratory disease, aged 65 years and over, from April 2012 to May 2012, was conducted. Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) was used to assess the nutritional status. Associations between nutritional status and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 1269 patients who met inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of (74.0±6.5) years, a mean body mass index of(23.3±3.8)kg/m2, a mean grip strength of (16.7±17.2) kg, a mean upper arm circumference of(25.7±3.7)cm, a mean calf circumference of (32.3±3.8)cm. The grip strength declined with the increase of age. 1 224 subjects completed the MNA-SF, among whom 145 cases (11.8%) suffered from malnutrition, 411 cases (33.6%) were at a risk of malnutrition, 668 cases (54.6%) were well nourished. The incidence of malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition were increased with ageing. People with malnutrition had a higher mortality, longer hospital stay and more hospital costs (all P<0.01). Conclusions Elderly patients with benign respiratory disease have a higher prevalence of malnutrition and a higher risk of malnutrition, which may lead to worse clinical outcomes. More attention should be paid to the assessment of nutritional status during hospitalization. Key words: Respiratory; Nutritional assessment; Prognosis