Two new potent and convenient predictors of mortality in older nursing home residents in Japan

Autor: Kazuko Ishikawa-Takata, Toshiki Ohta, Orie Tajima, Eiichi Nagura
Rok vydání: 2004
Předmět:
Zdroj: Geriatrics and Gerontology International. 4:77-83
ISSN: 1447-0594
1444-1586
Popis: Background: Malnourishment is closely connected with poor health outcomes in frail elderly. However, the relative importance of specific nutritional predictors of mortality remains unclear in the Japanese population. We investigated the potent nutritional factors associated with mortality from nutritional assessments of three parameters in Japanese frail elderly. Methods: Ninety residents in a nursing home in Japan, aged 65 and over (18 men, 72 women; mean age 82.2 ± 8.0 years) were enrolled in a 38-month follow-up study. The eligibility condition for analysis was having lived at the nursing home for more than 30 days, so three participants were excluded. Three nutritional parameters, which included: anthropometric measurements (body mass index, mid-arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and calf circumference); serum markers (albumin, total protein, prealbumin, retinol binding protein and total cholesterol); and food intake, were assessed. After categorizing each putative factor according to tertile distribution, risk of mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: At the end of the 38-month follow-up period, 29 participants had died. After adjustment for gender, age, clinical status, and functional status, three indicators (i.e. mid-arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and lipid intake) showed a significant relationship with mortality. When all of the putative factors were included in a stepwise procedure, mid-arm circumference and lipid intake were significantly associated with adjusted mortality. Conclusion: Among institutionalized Japanese frail elderly, lower levels of mid-arm circumference and lipid intake could potently predict an increased risk of mortality. These two indicators may be useful for many kinds of assessments and intervention for the improvement of health conditions in Japanese frail elderly.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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