Comparison of calorie and nutrient intake among elderly with and without sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: Sarcopenia, besides having an impact on functional capacity, has been associated with increased hospitalization and mortality, and stands out as an essential cause of disability among older people. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies comparing the calories and nutrients ingested by elderly people with and without sarcopenia. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, Cochrane Library, and Scielo databases were searched. STUDY SELECTION: Studies comparing calories and nutrient intake among elderly people diagnosed with sarcopenia and people without sarcopenia were included. DATA ANALYSIS: Mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed using I2 test. RESULTS: A total of 23 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The average number of calories and nutrients ingested were significantly lower in elderly study participants with sarcopenia compared with those without sarcopenia. The meta-analyses showed that the average number of calories ingested (n = 19 studies; mean difference, -156.7 kcal; 95%CI, -194.8 to -118.7) were significantly lower in those with sarcopenia than in elderly participants without sarcopenia. Compared to those without sarcopenia, elderly people with sarcopenia consumed lower amounts of proteins; carbohydrates; saturated fatty acids; vitamins A, B12, C, and D; and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and selenium. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence so far available suggests a difference in caloric, macronutrient (ie, proteins, carbohydrates, saturated fatty acids), and micronutrient (ie calcium, magnesium, sodium, selenium, and vitamins A, B12, C, and D) intake among the elderly with and without sarcopenia. Additional studies are needed to define the best interventions to improve the consumption of calories and nutrients by the aging population.

Indicators of Adiposity Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in the Elderly.

BACKGROUND: Adiposity indicators can be used as predictors of cardiovascular risk in the elderly. However, there are only a very few studies that deal with the accuracy of adiposity indicators as predictors of metabolic syndrome (MS) in the elderly. We evaluated the performance of adiposity indicators of MS prediction in the elderly. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 203 elderly people of both genders. VARIABLES: MS defined by harmonized criteria, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), conicity index (CI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and visceral adiposity index (VAI). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity (sens) and specificity (spec). RESULTS: The WC, WHtR, and LAP indicators showed the highest AUC, with values greater than 0.84. For the general population, WHtR and LAP had the highest Youden index values, identifying a point of approximately 0.55 (sens: 85.6%; spec: 80.4%) for WHtR and 32.3 (sens: 81.1%; spec: 75.0%) for LAP. When analyzed by gender, it was observed that the WC and WHtR had the highest Youden index values for prediction of MS in both genders. The CI and VAI showed the lowest discriminatory power for MS. CONCLUSION: Both the adiposity indicators, WC and WHtR, as well as LAP, had high accuracy in MS discrimination. Therefore, they are effective in MS assessment in the elderly and during follow-up for individual and collective clinical practice.

Prática do aleitamento materno em comunidades rurais do semi-árido baiano / The practice of maternal breast-feeding in rural communities of a semi-arid region of north-eastern Brazil

Com o objetivo de conhecer o estabelecimento e duraçäo do aleitamento materno total e exclusivo em comunidades rurais do Semi-Arido Baiano, Brasil, foram estudadas 226 crianças de 0 a 2 anos de idade, filhas de pequenos produtores rurais que vivem numa das regiöes mais secas do nordeste brasileiro, de pobreza absoluta. Os dados referem-se a todas as crianças da família que á data do estudo tinham até 2 anos de idade. Os dados foram coletados por meio de formulários aplicados às mäes ou responsáveis pelo menor, no período de 1988 a 1989. A tábua de vida foi o recurso estatístico utilizado para o cálculo da duraçäo mediana do evento. Das 226 crianças que integraram o estudo, 91,6 iniciaram a amamentaçäo ao peito. A duraçäo mediana do aleitamento total foi de 90,28 dias e o aleitamento exclusivo apresentou duraçäo mediana de 0,1 dia. Ainda que o estabelecimento da amamentaçäo ao peito possa ser considerado alto, a duraçäo mediana do aleitamento total foi extremamente curta, e o aleitamento exclusivo foi desprezível