title: [Malnutrition in the elderly].
abstract: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in the elderly populations: 4% in the community and near by 50% in the hospital or the long-term care facilities. Insufficient dietary intake results from loneliness, ignorance, impaired functional capacities and iatrogenic conditions. In case of acute injury or infection, stress reaction activates cytokine-induced metabolic events that impair nutritional status. There is a physiological anorexia with aging, but aging alone is not responsible for malnutrition. Diseases, psychological conditions and environmental factors are taken in account to treat malnutrition. Ethical considerations are necessary before tube-feeding decisions in a malnourished aged patient.
authors.affiliation: Service de gériatrie Hôpital Bretonneau 37044 Tours. t.constans@chu-tours.fr
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Constans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002149:Energy Intake; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence
vernacular_title: Dénutrition des personnes âgées.