Nutritional support in geriatric patients: the ESPEN new recommended guidelines

Malnutrition is frequent problems in older people, especially if combined with muscle loss. It is usually consequence of combination of acute or chronic disease, low food intake and inactivity. Evidence-based strategy to counteract this problem is difficult because of this health threat complexity. The last recommendations for nutritional support and in older persons were published recently. According to these guidelines all older persons shall be screened for malnutrition. Oral, enteral or parenteral nutrition should always be connected with treatment of on-going disease and physical exercise. The effect of this multimodal approach must be controlled and nutritional targets adapted on outcome based principle. Key words: geriatrics - guideline - malnutrition - muscle loss - nutritional care.