Abstract
NHANES Data indicates that adequate vitamin intake remains a challenge for a large part of the elderly even in affluent societies
Highlights
In aging societies health care cost puts an increasing burden on national budgets and finding ways to reduce them are high on the list of governments’ priorities
While some small differences between the genders are evident, the results show that more than half of the people do not reach the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin D, E and K and 35% to 40% for vitamin C and A
The information collected in the dietary intake survey as part of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2008 indicates that the majority of elderly people in the United States do not met the EAR for at least one vitamin: >50% US elderly do not reach the EAR for vitamin D, E and K and 35 to 40% for vitamin C and A, while for the B-vitamins, the proportion ranges from 1 to 30%(Table 1)
Summary
In aging societies health care cost puts an increasing burden on national budgets and finding ways to reduce them are high on the list of governments’ priorities. It was estimated that the annual cost of managing patients at risk of disease-related malnutrition in the United Kingdom in 2003 was £7.3 billion[1]. If these figures are extrapolated to Europe, the cost increases to €170 billion per year[2]. Already in 2003, two thirds of this money was spent on the care of individuals aged >65 years[1] This age group is expected to increase from 506 million or 7% of the world’s population in 2008 to 1.3 billion or 14% in 2040[3], which will have an enormous impact on the cost linked to their care. Affordable solutions to supply them with necessary vitamins are needed to counter possible adverse effects on health and wellbeing
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