Protein And Energy Supplementation In Elderly People At Risk From Malnutrition

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 16 Apr 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Evidence for the effectiveness of nutritional supplements containing protein and energy, often prescribed for older people, is limited. Malnutrition is more common in this age group and deterioration of nutritional status can occur during illness. It is important to establish whether supplementing the diet is an effective way of improving outcomes for older people at risk from malnutrition.

Extract from Implications for Practice

The results of the present review, which included more than twice the number of patients than the previous version of this review, supports the findings of the previous review in that there is a small weight gain, but no longer supports the finding that there is a beneficial effect on mortality overall. However, mortality in undernourished patients may be reduced. There is more evidence of a reduction in complications than in the previous review. Results however still require to be substantiated as there are doubts due to many included trials having poor study quality. More evidence of benefit from oral nutritional supplements for older people at risk of malnutrition in the community is still required.

(CD003288) by Milne et al

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Source
The Cochrane Library