title: What do we know about the nutritional status of the very old? Insights from three cohorts of advanced age from the UK and New Zealand.
abstract: Very old people (referred to as those aged 85 years and over) are the fastest growing age segment of many Western societies owing to the steady rise of life expectancy and decrease in later life mortality. In the UK, there are now more than 1·5 million very old people (2·5 % of total population) and the number is projected to rise to 3·3 million or 5 % over the next 20 years. Reduced mobility and independence, financial constraints, higher rates of hospitalisation, chronic diseases and disabilities, changes in body composition, taste perception, digestion and absorption of food all potentially influence either nutrient intake or needs at this stage of life. The nutritional needs of the very old have been identified as a research priority by the British Nutrition Foundation's Task Force report, Healthy Ageing: The Role of Nutrition and Lifestyle. However, very little is known about the dietary habits and nutritional status of the very old. The Newcastle 85+ study, a cohort of more than 1000 85-year olds from the North East of England and the Life and Living in Advanced Age study (New Zealand), a bicultural cohort study of advanced ageing of more than 900 participants from the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua regions of New Zealand are two unique cohort studies of ageing, which aim to assess the spectrum of health in the very old as well as examine the associations of health trajectories and outcomes with biological, clinical and social factors as each cohort ages. The nutrition domain included in both studies will help to fill the evidence gap by identifying eating patterns, and measures of nutritional status associated with better, or worse, health and wellbeing. This review will explore some of this ongoing work.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU,UK.
authors.forename: Tom R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU,UK.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 5PL,UK.
authors.forename: Antoneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granic
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 5PL,UK.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siervo
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 5PL,UK.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jagger
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU,UK.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care,Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland,92019,Auckland 1142,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerse
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University,Palmerston North 4442,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wham
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 5PL,UK.
authors.forename: Ashley J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle University,Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 5PL,UK.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mathers
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: 25(OH)D 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Aged 80 and over; BIA bioelectrical impedance analysis; DP dietary patterns; EPIC European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition; FFM fat-free mass; FM fat mass; LiLACS; LiLACS NZ Life and Living in Advanced Age study (New Zealand); MPR multiple pass recall; NDNS National Diet and Nutrition Survey; Newcastle 85+; Nutritional status; Very old