Prevalence of sarcopenia, body composition and energy-protein intake of elderly from an integrated continuing care unit in Brazil

International Journal of Development Research

Volume: 
8
Article ID: 
11938
7 pages
Research Article

Prevalence of sarcopenia, body composition and energy-protein intake of elderly from an integrated continuing care unit in Brazil

Camila Corage da Silva and Fabiane La Flor Ziegler Sanches

Abstract: 

Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and strength or function during the aging process, and has been recognized as a relevant factor for the occurrence of health problems. The objective of this study was to verify the prevalence of sarcopenia, the body composition and the energy-protein intake in hospitalized elderly. The studied elderly were admitted to the Integrated Continuing Care Unit of a Brazilian hospital. Prevalence was determined by the Skeletal Muscle Index, classifying it as absent, grade I or grade II sarcopenia, and food intake was evaluated at 3 times using a 24-h recall. Value p<0.05 was considered. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 58.3% at hospital admission, and increased to 62.5% at hospital discharge, being predominant in males and mostly classified as grade I. Energy-protein intake was significantly higher at hospital discharge in relation to admission, as was the amount of protein consumed at lunch. There was a prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly studied, despite the progressive increase in energy-protein intake during hospitalization, demonstrating the importance of early identification through accessible methods and nutritional interventions.

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