title: Changes in nutritional status and patterns of morbidity among free-living elderly persons: a 10-year longitudinal study.
abstract: Nutritional intake appears to be an important factor contributing to aging. In the present study we describe changes in physical health related to nutritional intake among elderly persons in a 10-y longitudinal study. Among 304 healthy elderly participants (median age 72 y on entry into the study in 1980), 97 (34.2%) are still in good health 10 y later in 1990, 74 (26.5%) have become frail or sick, 54 (19.1%) have died, and 57 (20.1%) have dropped out of the study. Women with lower or higher energy intakes (in 1980 and 1981) than the current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA; between 25 and 30 kcal/kg) were more likely to become frail or sick or to die in 1990 than those with energy intake in the midrange (below RDA, odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-8.6; above RDA, OR = 3.4, CI: 1.1-10.7). Moreover, women with protein intakes greater than the midrange of 0.8-1.2 g/kg of body weight (1.20-1.76 g/kg in 1980 and 1981) tended to have fewer health problems over the next 10 y than those with protein intakes < 0.8 g/kg, suggesting that the mean protein requirement in elderly adults is greater than that established by the 1985 joint World Health Organization/ FAO/UNU Expert Committee. Moreover, a decrease in energy intake was greater in elderly persons who died or dropped out of the study because of illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Garry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors