title: Undernutrition in older adults.
abstract: Undernutrition in older persons usually presents as weight loss and is predominantly due to protein energy wasting. The presentation of undernutrition is often subtle in older persons and there is a need to utilize screening tools and increasing physician awareness. There are multiple treatable causes of undernutrition in older persons. The major causes are anorexia, cachexia, sarcopenia, dehydration, malabsorption and hypermetabolism. This article also provides an overview of the use of nutritional supplements and an approach to managing protein energy wasting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 South Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. morley@slu.edu
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D000855:Anorexia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002100:Cachexia / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology