Nutrition and Weight Loss Flashcards
What are the 10 key recommendations from the Lancet review on malnutrition in the elderly?
- Routinely screen for malnutrition using validated tool
- If positive screen = systematic assessment
- Serum albumin = influenced by inflammation = not good biomarker
- Nutritional care individual and comprehensive
- Nutritional care multidisciplinary approach
- If risk/dx give nutritional info, education, counselling
- Avoid dietary restrictions (only if obese)
- Oral nutritional supplement offer to all if risk/dx when fortification/counselling insufficient
- Support by food modification
- In LTC/home care = meal time assistance
What does malnutrition put patients at risk for?
Frailty
Muscle wastage
Osteoporosis
CI
Delirium
Mood changes
Hypothermia
Low QOL
Mortality
What can delayed tx of malnutrition result in?
Poor wound healing
Pressure sores
Falls
Hospitalization
Institutionalization
What is the prevalence of malnutrition?
Community 3.1%
Home care 8.7%
Hospital 22%
LTC 28.7%
What are the three etiologic subtypes of malnutrition?
- Disease related driven by inflammation (COPD, CHF, CKD)
- Disease related not with inflammation (stroke, PD, dementia)
- Malnutrition without disease (hunger, SES, psychologic)
What are risk factors for malnutrition?
- Eating problems (low appetite, dependency)
- Low physical function (ADL, strength)
- Poor self-perceived health
- Previous hospital admission
- Poor oral health
- Loss of interest in life
- Marital status
What dietary recommendations can help prevent malnutrition?
Protein 1 g/kg per day (1.2-1.5 chronic or acute illness, up to 2)
Energy >30 kcal/kg/day
Who should you screen for malnutrition and how?
Routinely screen ALL older adults
Identify those malnourished or at risk
No gold standard for diagnosis
Tools
Community: Determine your nutritional health checklist
Hospital: MNA-SF, Nutritional risk screening
Residential: Short Nutritional assessment questionnaire
What are the components of the Mini Nutritional Assessment short form?
- Decline in food intake over last 3 mos (appetite, digestive, chew, swallow)
- Involuntary weight loss 3 mos
- Mobility status
- Psych stress or acute illness 3 mos
- Neuropsych (depression, dementia)
- BMI (or calf circumference)
What are four nutritional deficits that may be associated with frailty?
B12
Vit C, D, E
Folate
Low protein intake
What are 3 clinical assessments used in nutrition screening for older adults?
Subjective global assessment
Malnutrition screening tool
Mini Nutritional Assessment
What are anthropometric measures used to assess nutritional status in older adults?
BMI
Ideal body weight
Adjusted body weight
Calf circumference
Skin fold thickness
What are changes with aging that make BMI cutoffs less useful in older adults?
Small proportion of lean body mass
Shorten due to kyphosis
What are non-pharmacologic tx for unintentional weight loss?
Minimize restrictions
Optimize energy intake
More frequent small meals
Favourite foods and snacks
Finger foods
Avoid gas producing foods
Adequate oral health
High energy supplements
Supplements between meals
Eat with company
Eat with assistance
Flavour enhancers
Regular exercise
Vitamin supplement daily
Community nutritional support services
Weighted utensils
What are the diagnostic criteria for malnutrition in older adults as per 2018 Global leadership guidelines?
Must have at least 1 phenotypic criterion and 1 etiologic criterion
Phenotypic Criterion
1. Non volitional weight loss
>5% in last 6 months
>10% in more than 6 months
2. Low BMI
<20 if <70
<22 if >70
3. Reduced muscle mass: by validated body composition measuring techniques ex. DXA, FFMI (fat free mass index), CT, MRI
Etiologic Criterion
1. Reduced food intake or assimilation
<=50% of ER > 1 week, or any reduction for >2 weeks, or any chronic GI condition that adversely impacts food assimilation or absorption
2. Disease burden/inflammatory condition (acute disease/injury or chronic disease related)