Serum levels assessment of vitamin A, E, C, B-2 and carotenoids in malnourished and non-malnourished hospitalized elderly patients

Aims & methods: Serum levels of vitamins A, E, C, B-2 and carotenoids were determined in protein-energy malnourished (PEM, with body mass index, BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)) and non-PEM (BMI +/- 18.5 kg/m(2)) hospitalized elderly (age <greater than or equal to> 65 years) patients, in the University Hospital o f Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo University. Results: PEM (n = 21) and non-PEM (n=106) patients were paired for age (73. 6 +/- 7.3 vs. 71.6 +/- 5.6 years) and male percentage (65.1 vs. 52.4%). As expected, PEM elderly showed lower (P<0.05) body weight (median 43.1; range : 29.9-51.4 vs. 58.1; range: 45.7-143.5 kg), triceps skinfold (5.2 +/- 3.1 vs. 10.1 +/- 4.9 mm), and mid-arm muscle circumference (20.3 +/- 2.5 vs. 23 .1 +/- 3.4 cm). Serum albumin (4.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 4.1 +/- 0.7 g/dl) and total lymphocytes count (1918.3 +/- 919 vs. 1842.7 +/- 862 mm(3)) were similar, r espectively, among PEM and non-PEM patients. The percentage of biochemical riboflavin deficiency (58.8 vs. 56.2), low serum levels of vitamin A (28.6 vs. 29.6) and vitamin E (18.7 vs. 25) were similar, respectively, between P EM and non-PEM groups. The prevalence of low serum levels of water soluble vitamins was higher (P < 0.01) in malnourished elderly than in the non-PEM group (ascorbic acid, 80.9 vs. 56.7%, and carotenoids, 14.3 vs. 3%, respect ively). Conclusions: These results suggest that hospitalized malnourished elderly s how high percentage of low water soluble vitamin serum levels, a phenomenon possibly linked to decreased food intake, especially fruits and vegetables . (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.