Nutritional profiles of older adults according the Mini-Nutritional Assessment

Malnutrition among older adults plays an important role in clinical and functional impairment.

The aim of our study was to evaluate all parameters of Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), according to the nutritional status and to define the risk factors that may cause at risk of malnutrition and malnutrition in more detail.

One thousand outpatients aged 65 years or older who underwent the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) were included the study.

A total of 1000 patients (men vs women; 27.1% vs 72.9%), of whom the mean age was 74.30 ± 8.28, were enrolled. We found that 6.6% of patients were malnourished, 31.6% of patients were at risk of malnutrition and 61.8% of patients were well-nourished. The mean MNA score was 23.71 ± 4.19. In patients with malnourished subgroup, the parameters that cause the most loss of points were self-perception of health (87.9%), protein intake (86.4%) and taking at least 3 medications per day (77.3%). At the risk of malnutrition subgroup, protein intake (86.7%), self-perception of health (74.7%) and taking at least 3 medications per day (65.2%) were the three parameters that cause the most loss of points.

In the at-risk and malnourished subgroups, perception of health status, protein intake and taking at least three medications per day were the same MNA parameters that cause the most loss of points, but the rates were different.

A nutritional intervention should be done as soon as possible in patients who are at risk of malnutrition.