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Limited utility of adipokine levels in the diagnosis of malnutrition in the elderly

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Abstract

Background and aims

Adipokine levels may have a role in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between malnutrition score and leptin, other biological markers, and body mass index (BMI) in the diagnosis of malnutrition in the elderly.

Methods

In this cross-sectional observational study, we enrolled subjects over 70 years. Exclusion criteria were diabetes mellitus, obvious thyroid disorders, significant edema, renal dysfunction, chronic liver disease, symptomatic cardiovascular diseases, and malignity. Patients’ demographic and medical data were recorded and anthropometric measurements were performed. Laboratory parameters including leptin, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, IL-6, TNF-α were measured. We defined malnutrition according to mini nutritional assessment (MNA) scale. Patients were divided into four groups according to BMI quartiles.

Results

Average age of the patients was 81.9 ± 4.8 years, 68.2 % female and 31.8 % male. According to their MNA scores, 103 (66.9 %) were well nourished, 33 (21.4 %) were under malnutrition risk and 18 (11.7 %) were malnourished. MNA total and screening scores were positively correlated with albumin, BMI, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Serum leptin levels (ng/ml) were 18.9 ± 22.6, 22.3 ± 21.9, 51.9 ± 85.5, and 61.7 ± 56.1 in BMI groups 1–4, respectively. BMI was positively correlated with leptin and triglyceride levels. Leptin levels were similar among nutritional state groups. Neither BMI nor MNA scores had any significant correlation with adiponectin, ghrelin, IGF-1, or IGFBP-3.

Conclusions

Adipokine levels do not seem to give relevant information in nutritional state assessment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Erciyes University School of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey

    Sibel Akın

  2. Geriatrics Unit, Şevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey

    Fatih Tufan

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Leyla Bulut & Sema Genç

  4. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Gülistan Bahat, Bulent Saka, Nilgün Erten & M. Akif Karan

Authors
  1. Sibel Akın
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  2. Fatih Tufan
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  3. Leyla Bulut
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  4. Sema Genç
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  5. Gülistan Bahat
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  6. Bulent Saka
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Correspondence to Fatih Tufan.

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Akın, S., Tufan, F., Bulut, L. et al. Limited utility of adipokine levels in the diagnosis of malnutrition in the elderly. Aging Clin Exp Res 26, 229–234 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0158-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0158-y

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