Fatty acid nutriture in hospitalized elderly women.
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.
Schmuck
A
A
GREPO, Université Joseph Fourier, La Tronche, France.
Villet
A
A
Payen
N
N
Alary
J
J
Franco
A
A
Roussel
A M
AM
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
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