title: Improvement in nutritional status reduces the clinical impact of infections in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of a dietary intervention and micronutrient supplementation on self-reported infections in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community living older people in South Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred seventeen older adults aged 65 to 85.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomized to a dietary intervention, a daily micronutrient supplement, or placebo for 3 months, with a 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported measures of infection were reported over the 6-month study period. Secondary outcome measures were nutritional status, dietary intake, quality of life, and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported measures of infection over the 6-month duration of the study were significantly different between the treatment groups. The number of weeks in which illness affected life and the number of general practitioner and hospital visits were significantly lower in the food and micronutrient groups than in the placebo group. The number of weeks in which symptoms of an infection were described was significantly lower in the food group than the placebo and micronutrient groups. Significant improvements in biomarkers of micronutrient status were achieved in the food and micronutrient groups and showed significantly greater change than observed in the placebo group. Significant improvement in dietary intakes was observed in the food group only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improving dietary intake and micronutrient status reduces the clinical impact of self-reported infections in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: Hilary J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Gemma A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Foulds
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Flower
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: Stuart G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saxton
authors.forename: Alan G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Pockley
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients