The importance of assessing nutritional status in elderly patients with heart failure.
Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome characterized by high morbidity and mortality, despite advances in medical and device therapy that have significantly improved survival. The outcome of HF in elderly patients results from a combination of biological, functional, psychological, and environmental factors, one of which is nutritional status. Malnutrition, as well as HF, is frequently present with aging. Early detection might lead to earlier intervention. It is our goal to review the importance of nutritional status in elderly patients with HF, as well as tools for assessing it. We also propose a simple decision algorithm for the nutritional assessment of elderly patients with HF.
Heart Failure Unit, Cardiology Department, Pulido Valente Hospital, Lisbon North Hospital Centre, Rua Manuel Costa Silva nº7-2A, 1750-335, Lisbon, Portugal, luissargento@netcabo.pt.
Luis
L
Sargento
Susana
S
Longo
Nuno
N
Lousada
Roberto Palma
RP
dos Reis
D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D015992:Body Mass Index; D058620:Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*