Assessment of protein energy malnutrition in older persons, Part II: Laboratory evaluation.
A large proportion of chronic diseases affecting older persons can be either prevented or significantly improved by improving nutrition. This places an increased burden on health care professionals caring for older persons. Screening for malnutrition at an early stage allows the intervention to be most successful. History, physical examination, and anthropometric measurements are essential parts of any nutritional evaluation. However, these tools can be highly subjective and rely heavily on the knowledge and experience of the evaluator. Incorporating biochemical measurements in the routine nutritional assessment provides an often-needed objective dimension. Interpreting these measurements must take into consideration the normal biological changes seen with aging. In this article, we review many of the biochemical parameters used in nutritional assessment and their relation to morbidity and mortality, with a special focus on normal changes seen with aging.
Omran
M L
ML
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, St. Louis VAMC, Missouri 63104-1083, USA.
Morley
J E
JE
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D020738:Leptin / Q000032:analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D001798:Blood Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine