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Malnutrition and laboratory markers in geriatric patients. A comparison of neurologic-psychiatric, internal and trauma surgical diseases

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

There is minimal information on malnutrition in neurologic-psychiatric patients compared to internal and trauma-surgical patients. The aim of the present study was to explore if there is a correlation of these different disease groups with the nutritional assessment and biochemical markers.

Design

Cross - sectional study.

Setting and Participants

The study was done in a department of geriatric medicine with subspecialisation in neurologic diseases and stroke unit. 338 patients (m / f = 136 / 202, mean age 81.4 ± 7.3 years) were evaluated.

Measurements

The nutritional status was evaluated by using the short form of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) and seven biochemical markers (hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, vitamin B 12, folic acid, albumin and cholinesterase) were measured.

Results

There were 74 (22%) patients with MNA ≤ 7 points (malnutrition), 148 (44%) patients with an MNA 8 - 11 points (risk of malnutrition) and 116 (34%) patients with an MNA ≥ 12 points (good nutritional status). The mean MNA score of the three major disease groups trauma-surgery, internal medicine and neurology-psychiatry was 9.1 ± 3.2 vs. 9.9 ± 3.1 vs. 10.0 ± 2.8 (p=0.236). There were significant differences of laboratory markers between the disease groups. A deficit of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin was found more often in trauma-surgical and internal patients than in neurological-psychiatric patients (albumin: 21.4%, 15.7%, 5.3%; p=0.001; cholinesterase 16.7%, 16.9%, 6.3%; p=0.007; hemoglobin 78.6%, 61.4%, 50.0%; p=0.002).

Conclusions

Following Mini Nutritional Assessment, the additional measurement of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin allowed a more precise grading of malnutrition. There were significant differences between the disease groups. A deficit of albumin, cholinesterase and hemoglobin was found more often in multimorbid trauma-surgical and internal patients than in neurologic-psychiatric patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, Hermann Josef Krankenhaus, Teaching Hospital of the University of Aachen Medical School, Erkelenz, Germany

    Franz Stefan Schreiber, P. Deckert & C. Isensee

  2. Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    I. Becker

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Hermann Josef Krankenhaus, Teaching Hospital of the University of Aachen Medical School, Erkelenz, Germany

    H. Elsbernd

  4. Department of Geriatrics, St. Marien Hospital, Teaching Hospital of the University of Aachen Medical School, Düren, Germany

    Franz Stefan Schreiber

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  1. Franz Stefan Schreiber
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  2. I. Becker
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  4. H. Elsbernd
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  5. C. Isensee
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Correspondence to Franz Stefan Schreiber.

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Schreiber, F.S., Becker, I., Deckert, P. et al. Malnutrition and laboratory markers in geriatric patients. A comparison of neurologic-psychiatric, internal and trauma surgical diseases. J Nutr Health Aging 20, 458–461 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0575-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0575-z

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