Nutritional Status In Elderly Patients Research Articles

Prognostic role of nutritional status in elderly patients hospitalized for COVID-19: a monocentric study

BackgroundSymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection incidence is higher in the elderly patients. Pre-existing geriatric conditions such as comorbidity and frailty seem related to worse hospital outcomes.AimsTo assess the role of nutritional status as an independent prognostic factor for in-hospital death in elderly patients.MethodsConsecutive elderly patients (age > 65 years) hospitalized for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were enrolled. Demographics, laboratory and comorbidity data were collected. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI). Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses to evaluate predictors for in-hospital death were performed.ResultsOne hundred and nine hospitalized elderly patients (54 male) were consecutively enrolled. At univariate analysis, age (HR 1.045 [CI 1.008–1.082]), cognitive impairment (HR 1.949 [CI 1.045–3.364]), C-reactive protein (HR 1.004 [CI 1.011–1.078]), lactate dehydrogenases (HR 1.003 [CI 1.001–1.004]) and GNRI moderate–severe risk category (HR 8.571 [CI 1.096–67.031]) were risk factors for in-hospital death, while albumin (HR 0.809 [CI 0.822–0.964]), PaO2/FiO2 ratio (HR 0.996 [CI 0.993–0.999]) and body mass index (HR 0.875 [CI 0.782–0.979]) were protective factors. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed a significative higher survival in patients without GNRI moderate or severe risk category (p = 0.0013).At multivariate analysis, PaO2/FiO2 ratio (HR 0.993 [CI 0.987–0.999], p = 0.046) and GNRI moderate–severe risk category (HR 9.285 [1.183–72.879], p = 0.034) were independently associated with in-hospital death.ConclusionNutritional status assessed by GNRI is a significative predictor of survival in elderly patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The association between GNRI and PaO2/FiO2 ratio is a good prognostic model these patients.

Impact of nutritional index on long-term outcomes of elderly patients with coronary artery disease: sub-analysis of the SHINANO 5\xa0year registry

Nutritional status is a novel approach to prognostic assessment in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, assessment of nutritional status in elderly patients is challenging due to the significant differences between young patients. The TCBI (Triglycerides × Total cholesterol × Body Weight Index) is a novel and simple nutritional index for predicting long-term outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of TCBI in 597 elderly (≥ 75 years) patients enrolled in the SHINANO 5 year registry. The SHINANO 5 year registry, a prospective observational multicenter cohort study, had enrolled 1501 consecutive patients who underwent elective/urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this study, patients were categorized into TCBI quartile groups. The primary endpoints were the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including all-cause death, stroke, and myocardial infarction at 5 year. The mean duration of follow up was 4.3 ± 1.7 years. The average patient age was 80.9 ± 4.3 years. MACCE was observed in 61 (40.9%) patients in the lowest TCBI quartile group. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship between MACCE and TCBI (log-lank P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that low TCBI significantly predicted the incidence of MACCE (hazard ratio: 1.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–2.00; P = 0.031). The TCBI is useful in predicting long-term outcomes in elderly patients undergoing PCI.

Nutritional status of hospitalized elderly with coronary heart disease

Aim: The quantitative study aimed to assess nutritional status of elderly patients with coronary heart disease using two standardized tools. Design: A quantitative study. Methods: Data were obtained with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). In addition, sociodemographic data were collected and the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living was used to assess patients&#8217; functional independence. The sample comprised 103 patients staying on a cardiovascular ward between April and September 2018. Results: Based on assessment with MNA and MUST, malnutrition or the risk of malnutrition was revealed in approximately 37% and 26% of participants, respectively. Comparison of the two tools revealed significant statistical asymmetry between the results (p = 0.028). Full agreement was observed in 75.7% of participants, with a kappa coefficient of 0.44; this may be interpreted as &#8220;average&#8221; statistically significant agreement (p &lt; 0.001). The study revealed statistically significant relationships between functional independence and nutritional status assessed with both the MNA (p &lt; 0.001) and MUST (p = 0.001). There was also a statistically significant relationship between age and nutritional status assessed with both tools (p = 0.038). Conclusion: Over a third of elderly patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease staying on a cardiovascular ward suffered from malnutrition. Therefore, more attention should be paid to nutritional status of cardiac patients.

Aging and nutrition. Paving the way to better health.

Sufficient caloric intake is important to maintain the balanced health status, especially during the period of aging, as aging and sickness share paths. Maintaining adequate nutritional balance is the best preventive measure to counteract the risk of malnutrition. There are several causes for malnutrition in elderly people, and some techniques such as anthropometric measurements, laboratory and clinical parameters could help to diagnose malnutrition in these patients. The use of a simple validated questionnaire called the 'Mini Nutritional Assessment' measures the nutritional status of elderly patients. In this review, we discuss about the malnutrition in elderly people with and without a known cause and we present some of nutritional intervention. There are promising strategies that help overcoming malnutrition.

Investigation of the relationship between depression and nutritional status of elderly patients in home care

Aim: Malnutrition and depression are common geriatric disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and depression in the elderly, as well as assess the association between depression and malnutrition. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 86 elderly patients in the external consultation unit of a public specialty hospital in Malatya. Nutritional status was classified by the Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA). Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Functional autonomy indicators were obtained by Katz Index. Results: A total of 86 patients, 27 females and 59 males, were included in this study. Among them, 12.8% were classified as in adequate nutritional status, 50.0% were classified as being at risk of malnutrition and 37.2% as malnourished. In this study, depression rate was determined as 79.1% according to the GDS. MNA scores, hand grip strength and folic acid levels of the group diagnosed with depression were statistically significantly lower (p˂0.001, P=0.03, P=0.04, respectively). Conclusion: We suggest routine screening of depression symptoms in addition to the nutritional disorders for the early diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition and depression, however, further studies including more patients are needed.

Modified Conut Score Can Predict Prognosis in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction. Elderly patients aged 65 or older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often ineligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and generally have a poor prognosis. The prognostic risk classification based on NCCN Guidelines Version3. 2017; NCCN 2017 (O'Donnell MR, JNCCN. 2017) is widely performed; however, the impact of this classification on the prognosis of such elderly AML patients is unclear. While nutritional status assessment using controlling nutritional status (CONUT score) based on serum level of albumin (Alb), total-cholesterol (T-chol) and total lymphocyte count (TLC) predicts prognosis of elderly patients with solid tumor (Liu X, BMC Cancer. 2018), the prognostic significance of nutritional status in elderly patients with AML remains to be clarified. Methods. Hokkaido Leukemia Net (HLN) is prospective cohort study collecting AML samples from hospitals of North Japan Hematology Study Group (NJHSG). In this study, we focused on newly diagnosed AML patients aged 65 or older treated without HSCT, and investigated cytogenetic and molecular abnormality of leukemic cells including FLT3-ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, and KIT. We stratified the patients into favorable, intermediate, and adverse risk group based on NCCN 2017. In order to adjust the assessment of nutritional status for hematopoietic malignancy, we modified the CONUT score eliminating TLC from evaluation criteria (modified-CONUT score, Table) and defined patients with score 3 or more at diagnosis as high group. We evaluated the impacts of NCCN 2017 and modified-CONUT scores on overall survival (OS) in these patients. The study procedures were in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and institutional ethical guidelines, conducted under the auspices of the institutional ethics committee, and approved by the institutional review boards. Results. Overall, 181 patients with newly diagnosed AML patients aged 65 or older enrolled in HLN between April 2010 and March 2018. Seven patients undergone HSCT were excluded and 174 patients were reviewed (Age 65-93, median 71; male 104, female 70). In this cohort, classification based on NCCN 2017 successfully divided the prognosis of the patients for 2-year and 5-year OS [2-year OS; favorable group, 59.9%; intermediate group, 43.8%; adverse group, 8.1%, 5-year OS; favorable group, 41.5%, intermediate group, 19.7%; adverse group, 4.1%, P=0.00258, Figure A]. On 112 patients who had available records of serum Alb levels and T-chol levels at diagnosis, OS in patients with high modified-CONUT score was significantly lower than the low score group [2-year OS; low score group, 50.3%; high score group, 18.5%; 5-year OS; low score group, 23.5%; high score group, 9.24%, P=0.00203, Figure B]. In a univariate analysis, adverse group in NCCN 2017 and high modified-CONUT score were associated with poor 2-year OS. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that adverse group in NCCN 2017 and high modified-CONUT score were independently associated with poor 2-year OS (adverse group in NCCN 2017; HR, 2.464 ; 95% CI, 1.514 to 4.012, P=0.0002854, high modified-CONUT score; HR, 1.664 ; 95% CI, 1.051 to 2.635, P=0.02976; log-rank). Altogether, we demonstrated that risk stratification based on NCCN 2017 and modified-CONUT score are both effective for predicting prognosis in elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML. Conclusion. The prognostic risk classification based on AML disease status using NCCN Guidelines 2017 effectively stratify prognosis of elderly patients with AML. Moreover, new assessment scoring of patients' nutrition status based on modified-CONUT score can easily stratify elderly patients with newly diagnosed AML. Figure Disclosures Teshima: Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding.

Changes in the nutritional status of elderly patients after esophagectomy

BackgroundEsophagectomy is a highly invasive procedure for patients aged > 70 years. Here, we compared the actual nutritional status of older and younger patients who underwent esophagectomy.MethodsA total of 118 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy between April 2013 and December 2016 were enrolled and divided into two groups based on age: group A (n = 41; ≥ 70 years) and group B (n = 77; < 70 years). Data pertaining to body mass index and nutritional variables (albumin; total cholesterol; cholinesterase; and prealbumin) were retrospectively analyzed preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.ResultsSignificant preoperative between-group differences were found in the cholinesterase, albumin, and prealbumin levels. The body mass index gradually decreased over the first 12 months after surgery in both groups, without significant between-group differences. Significant differences were observed in prealbumin and cholinesterase levels at 3 months postoperatively. 1 year postoperatively, both groups showed slight improvements; however, the between-group differences were not statistically significant. Group A had a significantly lower amount of the degree of decrement of BMI and chE than group B.ConclusionThus, patients aged > 70 years can recover within 12 months of esophagectomy.

A multicenter survey on changes in nutritional risk and malnutrition incidence of elderly patients in Chinese large hospitals during hospitalization

Objective To investigate the change of the nutritional status of elderly patients in Chinese major hospitals dynamically with nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) and subjective global assessment (SGA) during hospitalization. Methods A prospective, multi-center survey was conducted on over 65 years old patients who were admitted in departments of gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, general surgery, geriatrics, thoracic surgery, neurology, orthopedics and medical oncology of 9 large hospitals in China for 7-30 days between June 2014 and September 2014. On admission and within 24 hours after discharge, the clinical data were recorded, physical indices were measured, and laboratory examination were conducted. NRS 2002 and SGA were used to make an evaluation. The nutritional supports and clinical outcomes were also recorded and then the correlation between nutritional status and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 2558 patients above 65 years old were included into the study. Compared with their status on admission, their grip strength, upper arm circumference and crural circumference were reduced significantly at discharge (P<0.05). The total protein, albumin and hemoglobin levels were significantly lower than those on admission (P<0.05). The incidence of nutritional risk (NRS 2002 score≥3)and malnutrition (SGA B+ C) on admission were lower than those at discharge (51.1% vs 53.0%, 32.6% vs 35.6%). The hospitalization time and medical expenses were higher in patients with malnutrition on admission than in those with normal nutrition intakes. The nutritional status at discharge was negatively correlated with hospitalization time and medical expenses. 61.3% patients having nutritional risk did not take nutritional support during the hospital stay, while utilization rate of parenteral nutrition was higher than that of enteral nutrition in patients receiving nutritional support (19.6% vs 11.9%). Conclusion Elderly patients have higher possibilities of facing nutritional risk or malnutrition on admission, these are associated with poor clinical outcomes and their nutritional status will not improve significantly at discharge. Therefore, the screening and evaluation of nutritional status in elderly patients during hospitalization should be conducted and their nutritional intervention should be standardized so as to improve the clinical outcomes. Key words: Elderly patients; Dynamic nutrition survey; Nutritional status of discharged patients; Nutritional risk screening; Subjective global assessment; Length of hospital stay; Medical expenses

Nutritional Status of Elderly Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Surgical trauma can result in immobilization of biological material, degradation of muscle proteins, synthesis of acute-phase proteins in the liver, occurrence of catabolism phase and anabolism simultaneously, and as a consequence weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of patients with ischemic heart disease subjected to coronary artery bypass surgery and physical activity and postoperative complications. The analysis among 96 men included total number of lymphocytes (TNL), body mass index (BMI), case history of a patient and results of laboratory tests. The activities of daily living (ADL) and the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) questionnaires were used. According to TNL, before the procedure malnutrition occurred in 46% of patients. BMI revealed overweight in 62.5% and obesity in 26.0%. After the surgery, no changes were observed. According to MNA, 59% of patients before the surgery were at risk of malnutrition. After the operation, the number of people at risk of malnutrition increased by 50% (p < 0.0001). The correlation was noted between BMI and patients’ efficiency in the fifth day after the surgery (p = 0.0031). Complications after the surgery occurred in 35.4% of patients. After the surgery, the risk of malnutrition increased, decreased activity and complications occurred more frequently in people with underweight, obesity, and overweight than in people with normal BMI.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Prediction of Early Complications after Gastrectomy in Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer: the Phase Angle Measured Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.

PurposePhase angle obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) provides a relatively precise assessment of the nutritional status of elderly patients. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of phase angle as a risk factor for complications after gastrectomy in elderly patients.Materials and MethodsWe evaluated 210 elderly patients (aged ≥65 years) who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer between August 2016 and August 2017. The phase angle cutoff value was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis according to sex. A retrospective analysis regarding the correlation between early postoperative complications and well-known risk factors, including the phase angle, was performed.ResultsMultivariate analysis revealed that the presence of two or more comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 3.675) and hypoalbuminemia (OR, 4.059) were independent risk factors for overall complications, and female sex (OR, 2.993) was independent risk factor for severe complications. A low phase angle (OR, 2.901 and 4.348, respectively) and total gastrectomy (OR, 4.718 and 3.473, respectively) were independent risk factors for both overall and severe complications.ConclusionsOur findings show that preoperative low phase angle predicts the risk of overall and severe complications. Our findings suggest that BIA should be performed to assess the risk of postoperative complications in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

The application value of mini-nutritional assessment short-form in screening and evaluating nutritional status in the elderly hospitalized patients with malignant tumor: a multicenter study

Objective To investigate the application value of mini-nutritional assessment short-form(MNA-SF)in screening and evaluating nutritional status in elderly hospitalized patients with malignant tumor. Methods 1472 elderly hospitalized patients(≥65 years old)with malignant tumor were enrolled and prospectively studied for evaluating the nutritional status by nutritional risk screening 2002(NRS 2002)assessment.Indicators of clinical outcomes were summarized.The consistencies of MNA-SF with body mass index(BMI), grip and results of NRS 2002 assessment, and the relationship between the different nutritional status and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results The patients meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria were aged(72.1±5.9)years, with BMI of(22.3±3.7)kg/m2 and grip of(21.7±19.0)kg.Among 16.7% of the malnourished patients with malignant tumors, pancreatic cancer(30.9%), bile duct cancer(24.1%)and esophageal cancer(21.2%)occupied the top three incidence of malnutrition, with the lowest(5.4%)incidence in breast cancer.Among 59.2% of patients being malnourished(16.7%)or at risk(42.5%)of malnutrition, the highest incidence was in bile duct cancer(82.8%), and lowest one was in breast cancer(28.6%). MNA-SF-discriminated malnutrition(0~7 points)showed a great agreement with malnutrition evaluation by BMI(<18.5), but had a poor agreement with grip in screening malnutrition.MNA-SF-discriminated nutrition problem(malnourishment plus at risk of malnutrition)showed a great agreement with NRS 2002-discovered nutrition problem(score≥3). Under-nourished patients had a higher infection complication(9.29% vs.5.14%, P=0.006)and longer hospital stays(15.4 d vs.12.8 d, P<0.01)as compared with patients with normal nutrition status. Conclusions The prevalence and risk factors for malnutrition are higher in elderly patients with malignant tumor.Poor nutritional status is correlated with poor clinical outcomes.MNA-SF can be used as a tool for evaluating the nutritional status of elderly patients with malignant tumor. Key words: Neoplasms; MNA-SF; Nutrition assessment; Clinical outcomes

Correlation of nutritional status in elderly patients with Alzheimer disease and self-efficacy of their caregivers

Objective To investigate the correlation between nutritional status in elderly patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and self-efficacy of their caregivers. Methods Ninety-two elderly patients with AD and 92 their caregivers were enrolled from a Peking Union Medical College in Beijing from March to October 2017, who were evaluated by the mini nutritional assessment short form (MNA-SF) and the general self-efficacy scale (GSES) respectively for the nutritional status of the AD patients and the self-efficacy of their caregivers, and the correlation between them was analyzed. Results The average MNA-SF score of the AD patients was 7.8±2.5. The incidence of malnutrition risk and malnutrition were 34.8% and 27.2% respectively. The MNA-SF score of the AD patients decreased (F=4.589, P=0.009), and the incidence of malnutrition risk (χ2=7.319, P=0.026) and malnutrition (χ2=7.080, P=0.032) increased significantly with the aggravation of AD. The average self-efficacy score of the caregivers was 2.20±0.45. With the aggravation of AD, the GSES score of the caregivers decreased significantly (F=3.122, P=0.016). There was a positive correlation between the nutritional status of the AD patients and the self-efficacy of their caregivers (r=0.254, P=0.022). Conclusion The nutritional status in elderly patients with AD is positively correlated with the self-efficacy of their caregivers, that is, the higher GSES score of the caregiver is, the better nutritional status of the AD patient has. Key words: Alzheimer disease; Elderly patient; Nutritional status; Caregiver; Self-efficacy

Correlation between hand grip strength and nutritional status in elderly patients

The process of aging impacts the function of the human body. Sarcopenia can cause frailty, which leads to changes in energy balance due to malnutrition, and it can progress if not treated properly. Hand grip strength is well known to be associated with several conditions in elderly, such as sarcopenia and frailty. We determined the correlation between hand grip strength and nutritional status in a cross-sectional study of 98 geriatric patients conducted between January and September 2016. Hand grip strength and nutritional status were measured. Median hand grip strength was 18. Six patients (6.1%) suffered malnutrition, 59 (60.2%) were at risk for malnutrition, and 33 (33.7%) had normal nutritional status. Based on Pearson correlation test, hand grip strength was correlated with nutritional status (P = 0.008, r = 0.268).

Relationship of Nutritional Status and Functional Capacity in Elderly Patients Visiting Outpatient Clinics of a Tertiary Care Hospital.

To determine the correlation of functional and nutritional status of elderly patients (equal to and more than 60 years of age) visiting family medicine clinics of tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Family medicine clinics of Aga Khan University Hospital, in Karachi, from August 2014 to February 2015. A total of 200 participants (60 years and above), Family medicine outpatient clinics, were recruited via non-probability consecutive sampling. Katz scoring and MNA scale were used for the evaluation of functional and nutritional status, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was applied to assess the correlation between nutritional status and functional status of elderly. Out of 200 participants, 35 % (n=70) were of 60-64 years of age. Most of them (54%, n=109) were males as compared to 46% (n=91) females; 33.5% were at risk of malnutrition and 35.5% were dependent. Spearmen correlation between functional and nutritional status was rho = -0.675, with p-value of p<0.001. There is a negative correlation between nutritional and functional status. As good nutritional status is essential for older persons to become functionally active; hence, this issue needs to be dealt in a developing country like Pakistan.

Evaluation of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients with NRS-2002 Screening Test and Comparison of Results with Laboratory Parameters

Evaluation of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients with NRS-2002 Screening Test and Comparison of Results with Laboratory Parameters

Nutritional risk in outpatients of a geriatric neuropsychiatry clinic

BackgroundThere are few published studies investigating the nutritional status of elderly individuals with psychiatric disorders. This study aims to describe the nutritional status of elderly patients from a neuropsychiatry outpatient clinic, investigating their nutritional status according to the type of psychiatric diagnostic, specifically Alzheimer’s disease (AD), depression (DEP), and other types of dementia (OTD).MethodsElderly individuals from two outpatient clinics (n = 217) were evaluated for nutritional risk (using a validated tool) and for some anthropometric and biochemical measurements.ResultsWe found a high prevalence of nutritional risk in the sample (about 60%). The major dietary problems found were low daily meal frequency and the low daily intake of water. Biochemical analyses indicated blood glucose and total cholesterol to be above the reference values, while hemoglobin and vitamin D were below the reference values. Anthropometric measurements did not differ between the groups with different psychiatric diagnostics, except for calf circumference, which showed to be lower in the OTD group (p = 0.006).ConclusionsAlthough we found a high prevalence of nutritional risk, the differences between the diagnostic groups were very subtle. The nutritional risk is certainly associated with inadequate eating habits. It is necessary to seek strategies to improve the diet and other lifestyle factors in geriatric neuropsychiatry, in order to mitigate the negative outcomes brought about by the diseases.

Evaluation of Nutritional Status of Elderly Patients Presenting to the Family Health Center.

Objective:Nutritional problems are one of the most common disorders encountered in aging, and malnutrition, secondary to insufficient food consumption. Failure to diagnose malnutrition can increase the risk of illnesses and death. Our objective was to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly patients aged 65 years and older through a Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale and to determine its relationship with laboratory parameters.Methods:This is a single-center cross-sectional study which included 102 patients aged 65 years and older who presented to the Family Health Center (FHS) in the Cobanlar District in the Province of Afyon, Turkey. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements of the patients were obtained, and the MNA scale was administered to the patients using a face-to-face interview technique. In the statistical analysis of the data, categorical variables were analyzed using a Chi-square test, normally distributed data were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA), continuous variables with normal distribution comprising independent measurements were analyzed using an Independent Samples T-test, and data without normal distribution were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test.Results:Of the 102 patients included in this study, 45 (44.1%) were male and 57 (55.9%) were female. The mean age was 74.06±7.89 years (min-max: 65–92). Of these patients, 39 (38.2%) were found to have malnutrition, 19 (18.6%) were at high risk of malnutrition and 44 (43.1%) had a normal nutritional status.Conclusions:The findings suggest evaluating nutritional status in individuals aged 65 years and older in the population on a regular basis to reduce disease risk and mortality.

Effect of Active Nutrition Care on Underweight Elderly Patients Receiving Long-term Enteral Tube Feeding

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effect of active nutrition care on feeding and nutritional status of elderly patients receiving long-term enteral tube feeding. Methods: Subjects included 77 elderly patients who had received enteral nutrition more than one week before admissio...

Evaluation of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Evaluation of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

The Role of Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients with Heart Failure.

Evidence indicates that malnutrition very frequently co-occurs with chronic heart failure (HF) and leads to a range of negative consequences. Studies show associations between malnutrition and wound healing disorders, an increased rate of postoperative complications, and mortality. In addition, considering the increasing age of patients with HF, a specific approach to their treatment is required. Guidelines proposed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for treating acute and chronic HF refer to the need to monitor and prevent malnutrition in HF patients. However, the guidelines feature no strict nutritional recommendations for HF patients, who are at high nutritional risk as a group, nor do they offer any such recommendations for the poor nutritional status subgroup, for which high morbidity and mortality rates have been observed. In the context of multidisciplinary healthcare, recommended by the ESC and proven by research to offer multifaceted benefits, nutritional status should be systematically assessed in HF patients. Malnutrition has become a challenge within healthcare systems and day-to-day clinical practice, especially in developed countries, where it affects the course of disease and patients' prognosis.