Nutritional Care Needs in Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care Institutions: Potential Implications for Policies.

OBJECTIVES: To collect information on actual nutritional intervention requirements in long-term care institutions and on the role of institutional factors in nutritional care. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data (collected between September 2011 and September 2013) within the context of a multicenter prospective cohort study. SETTING: Nineteen long-term care institutions. PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen hundred and ninety-four resident elderly (age ≥60 years). MEASUREMENTS: The prevalence of nutritional derangements (MNA-Short Form) and the need to introduce nutritional interventions on the residents. RESULTS: Prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition were 35.2% [95%CI, 32.8-37.8] and 52.6% [95%CI, 50.0-55.2], respectively. Malnutrition was more frequent upon admission and in larger institutions (≥50 beds). Overall, 50% of the residents requiring an individualized nutritional care plan (any type) were not receiving it. Oral diet, the use of fluid thickeners and oral nutritional supplements had to be introduced in 306 (22.5%), 201 (15%) and 175 (13%) residents, respectively. The need to implement the oral diet was mainly due to inadequacy of texture according to chewing and swallowing capabilities. In gender and age-adjusted multivariable logistic regression models, nutritional interventions were associated with worse nutritional status (P<0.001 for all). Moreover, while the duration of stay was unrelated to the need for nutritional interventions, we observed that residents living in larger long-term care institutions (≥50 beds) were more likely to require improvement in nutrition care. CONCLUSIONS: In long-term care elderly residents nutritional derangements are very common, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Nutritional screening should be part of routine care. However, also the systematic involvement of a nutritional care specialist appears to be an urgent need, particularly in larger institutions where the standards of care are likely to be lower.

The role of illness perception and emotions on quality of life in fibromyalgia compared with other chronic pain conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMs) is a chronic widespread pain condition that can negatively impact on all aspects of patient's life. The purpose of this study was: first, to evaluate illness perception (IP), quality of life (QoL) and affective-emotive variables (EAV) of patients with FM; and second, to compare these variables to different pain conditions. METHODS: Consecutive 34 women (mean age 47.4±8.3 years) affected by FM were enrolled for the study from December 2009 to May 2011. IP was evaluated by means of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, QoL through Nottigham Health Profile and EAV through the Beck Depression Inventory. Scores were compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=20; mean age 53±12.8 years) and low back pain (LBP) (n=20; 51.3±7.8 years) groups. RESULTS: FM patients scored higher than RA and LBP groups on IP (Identity scale mean: FM=8.8±2.3, AR=5.5±3.3, LBP=4.1±2.9; Kruskal-Wallis=24.42). Moreover FM patients show higher EAV (mean FM=21±9.6, AR=8.9±5.6, LBP=14.9±6.5; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=2.17) and QoL (Pain scale mean: FM=74.2±24.1; AR=35.7±19.9; LBP=56.5±20.4; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=2.27; Energy scale mean: FM=86.2±28.5; AR=46.8±35.4; LBP=61.6 ±63.7; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=1.98) than RA group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlighted dysfunctional IP, low QoL, high EAV scores in FM patients and the significant relations between these variables. Research results provided support for relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of FM, including psychological interventions, according to a biopsychosocial perspective.

Renal hemodynamics and albumin excretion rate in patients with diabetes secondary to acquired pancreatic disease.

OBJECTIVE--To assess kidney function and AER in patients with PD. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Thirty-three patients with PD (age 52 +/- 7 yr, duration of disease 11 +/- 6 yr, BMI 24 +/- 3 kg/m2) and 33 patients with IDDM were matched for sex, BMI, and duration of disease. GFR and RPF were determined by single injection of [51Cr]EDTA and [125I]hippurate. AER was measured by radioimmunoassay in a single timed overnight urine collection. RESULTS--GFR and RPF were, respectively, 113 +/- 35 and 441 +/- 145 ml.min-1.73 m2 in patients with PD and 123 +/- 30 and 549 +/- 94 (P < 0.001) in IDDM. FF was significantly higher in patients with PD (0.26 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.03; P < 0.001). Prevalence of hyperfiltration (GFR > 135 ml.min-1.1.73 m2) was similar in both groups (30% in patients with PD vs. 28% in those with IDDM). Geometric mean of urinary AER was 10.4 micrograms/min (range 1-186) in patients with PD and 11.2 (1-198) in IDDM patients. Some 30.3% of patients with PD and 18% of those with IDDM were microalbuminuric (AER > 20 micrograms/min). By multiple regression analysis, AER was significantly related to systolic (P < 0.04) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) and to BMI (P < 0.03) in patients with PD. Retinopathy was more frequent in microalbuminuric patients with PD than in those without elevated AER. CONCLUSIONS--We suggest that early renal abnormalities occur similarly in patients with PD and IDDM.

Prevalence of microangiopathic complications in hyperglycemia secondary to pancreatic disease.

Diabetes secondary to pancreatic disease (PD) represents a useful model for the study of the effects of chronic hyperglycemia on microangiopathic complications in the absence of those genetic factors predisposing to Type I diabetes. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of nephropathy and retinopathy in a group of 86 patients with PD. The genetic pattern, assessed by the determination of HLA antigens, was different than in patients with Type I diabetes. A family history of diabetes was present in 53% of the patients. The prevalence of retinopathy was 37%. Eighteen percent of the patients with duration of diabetes less than 10 years showed an albumin excretion rate (AER) greater than 40 mg/24 hr. The prevalence of pathologic microalbuminuria (greater than 40 mg/24 hr) was found in 29% of the patients with duration of diabetes greater than 10 years. The prevalence of pathologic microalbuminuria is related to the duration of diabetes. Both diastolic and systolic blood pressure is positively correlated to albumin excretion rate (p less than 0.02), suggesting a possible role of hypertension in the evolution of nephropathy. Sixty-one percent of the patients with AER greater than 40 mg/24 h had retinopathy, thus confirming the close association between renal and ocular complications. Abnormal microalbuminuria and retinopathy were not influenced by a family history of diabetes. We conclude that the prevalence of microangiopathic complications is similar to that seen in Type I diabetes, and the metabolic abnormalities of diabetes can play a direct role in the development of diabetic microangiopathy.