Determinants of fat-soluble vitamin status in patients aged 65 years and over

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2013-12, Vol.67 (12), p.1325-1327
• Main Authors: Granado-Lorencio, F, Blanco-Navarro, I, Perez-Sacristein, B, Millan, I, Donoso-Navarro, E, Silvestre-Mardomingo, R.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/1702/295; 692/700/1518; Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Albumins; Biological and medical sciences; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Clinical Nutrition; Creatinine; Creatinine - blood; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Ferritin; Ferritins - blood; Filtrate; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Health aspects; Hospitalization; Humans; Internal Medicine; Kidney - physiology; Liquid chromatography; Male; Malnutrition; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Morbidity; Mortality; Nutrient deficiency; Nutritional Status; Older people; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Patients; Physiological aspects; Public Health; Renal function; Seasons; Serum Albumin - analysis; Serum levels; Sex Factors; short-communication; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin A; Vitamin A - blood; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin deficiency; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - blood; Vitamins
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.198

In the elderly, malnutrition is highly prevalent and a major contributor to increased morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the fat-soluble vitamin status and potential determinants in patients >65 years of age. Serum vitamins A, D and E were determined by liquid chromatography in 166 patients. Gender, age, season, hospitalization, nutritional markers (albumin and cholesterol), acute-phase reactants (ferritin and C-reactive protein) and renal function (creatinine and glomerular filtrate) were assessed as potential determinants. Prevalence of vitamin deficiency was highly variable, ranging from 0 (vitamin E/cholesterol ratio) to 94% (for vitamin D in hospitalized patients). Vitamin status did not differ according to gender, but age, season, hospitalization, a poor nutritional status and impaired renal function, and the presence of acute-phase response significantly affected serum levels of vitamin A, E and D. In conclusion, in subjects >65 years both demographic and clinical factors determined the fat-soluble vitamin status.