title: Changes in activities of daily living, nutrient intake, and systemic inflammation in elderly adults receiving recuperative care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationships between physical function, systemic inflammation, and nutrient intake in elderly adults who are deconditioned or recovering from medical illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recuperative care and rehabilitation setting of a Veterans Affairs hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Older adults assessed to be in need of and likely to benefit from specialized inpatient care (N = 336, aged 78.9 ± 7.5, median length of stay 24 days).
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional assessments and plasma analyses for albumins and inflammatory markers were performed at admission and discharge. Complete nutrient intake assessments were performed daily. Katz (independence in activities of daily living) and walking endurance (distance capability and summation of need for assistive device and human help) scores were based on direct observation and provider query. Data were analyzed using least-squares and logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes in physical function between admission and discharge were positively correlated with change in nutrient intake and inversely correlated with inflammation at admission and its change. Participants in the upper quartile of change for nutrient intake (particularly improved protein intake) were two to three times as likely to experience a clinically significant change in functional status during the hospitalization. Similarly, the odds of experiencing an improvement in physical function were two to four times as great for participants whose C-reactive protein levels declined as for those whose levels increased. These relationships remained significant after controlling for age, length of stay, and other baseline indicators of health status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protein intake and inflammation are significantly correlated with functional recovery for aging individuals undergoing recuperative care and rehabilitation. Future studies should investigate whether combined interventions that target these factors improve recovery during hospitalization for this population.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: Larry E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Paula K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Roberson
authors.forename: Muhannad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heif
authors.forename: Melinda M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bopp
authors.forename: Kimberly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: Kalpana P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Padala
authors.forename: Prasad R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Padala
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Dubbert
authors.forename: Dennis H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein