Serum levels assessment of vitamin A, E, C, B2 and carotenoids in malnourished and non-malnourished hospitalized elderly patients.
OBJECTIVE
Serum levels of vitamins A, E, C, B2 and carotenoids were determined in protein-energy malnourished (PEM, with body mass index, BMI<18.5 kg/m2) and non-PEM (BMI+/-18.5 kg/m2) hospitalized elderly (age > or = 65 years) patients, in the University Hospital of Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University.


RESULTS
PEM (n=21) and non-PEM (n=106) patients were paired for age (73.6+/-7.3 vs. 71.6+/-5.6 years) and male percentage (65.1 vs. 52.4%). As expected, PEM elderly showed lower (P<0.05) body weight (median 43.1; range: 29.9-51.4 vs. 58.1; range: 45.7-143.5 kg), triceps skinfold (5.2+/-3.1 vs. 10.1+/-4.9 mm), and mid-arm muscle circumference (20.3+/-2.5 vs. 23.1+/-3.4 cm). Serum albumin (4.0+/-0.9 vs. 4.1+/-0.7 g/dl) and total lymphocytes count (1918.3+/-919 vs. 1842.7+/-862 mm(3)) were similar, respectively, among PEM and non-PEM patients. The percentage of biochemical riboflavin deficiency (58.8 vs. 56.2), low serum levels of vitamin A (28.6 vs. 29.6) and vitamin E (18.7 vs. 25) were similar, respectively, between PEM and non-PEM groups. The prevalence of low serum levels of water soluble vitamins was higher (P<0.01) in malnourished elderly than in the non-PEM group (ascorbic acid, 80.9 vs. 56.7%, and carotenoids, 14.3 vs. 3%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that hospitalized malnourished elderly show high percentage of low water soluble vitamin serum levels, a phenomenon possibly linked to decreased food intake, especially fruits and vegetables.
Cunha
D F
DF
Nutrition Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto-USP, Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil.
Cunha
S F
SF
Unamuno
M R
MR
Vannucchi
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood*; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000097:blood; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*
D012709:Serum Albumin; D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D012256:Riboflavin