title: Fatty acid nutriture in hospitalized elderly women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to measure the fatty acid (FA) dietary intakes and the FA composition of plasma total lipids in a selected group of hospitalized elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three women aged 76 to 99 years were recruited. FA were analyzed in 5-day duplicate portions and in plasma by gas liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospitalized elderly women ingested an average of 5.22 megajoules (MJ) and 45.9 g of lipids per day. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) represented 11.0% and saturated fatty acids (SFA) 53.6% of the lipid intake. Minimal recommendations for linoleic acid intake were reached in average, but 32% of the patients ingested less than 3 g of linoleic acid/d. Eighty-six percent received less than 0.5% of energy for alpha-linolenic acid and 64% had low intakes in very long-chain n-3 FA. In parallel, these patients presented several biochemical signs of essential fatty acids (EFA) insufficiency (decrease in linoleic acid, increase in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), in n-7 FA and in indexes of delta-6 and delta-9 desaturase activities).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospitalized elderly patients have low PUFA intakes and show biochemical indices of EFA insufficiency. These patients might benefit from a nutritional supplementation providing both EFA and antioxidant micronutrients to limit the risk of skin troubles, immune system impairment and vascular disease often observed in institutionalized elderly subjects.
authors.affiliation: GREPO, Université Joseph Fourier, La Tronche, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmuck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villet
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Payen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alary
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Roussel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000097:blood; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases