The general health of elderly hospitalised patients improves, along with their physical and social functioning, when they are given oral nutritional supplements in addition to the normal hospital diet.
Paying attention to and correcting nutrition in older people, specifically those who are ill, can lead to a significant improvement in their well-being.
Arabian researchers studied aspects of the quality of life of 225 hospitalised men and women, aged 75 years on average. The patients, hospitalised for cardiovascular problems, lung disease, fractures, or infections, received a normal hospital diet plus either a placebo drink or a 995-calorie nutritional supplement twice daily for 6 weeks. The nutritional supplement provided 100 percent of the Reference Nutrient Intakes for older adults for vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid, as well as the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, and selenium.
It was found that quality of life assessments after 6 weeks did not identify significant differences between the patients who received the supplements compared with those given the placebo. However, after 6 months the patients given the nutritional supplement showed significantly better quality of life scores compared with patients who got the placebo.
Measures of physical and social function were better, vitality was better, and mental health improved among the supplemented compared with non-supplemented patients.
This trial demonstrated that nutritional supplementation in hospitalised older people provides clinically important benefits. Widespread use of nutritional supplements among older patients could have a substantial impact on the quality of life for older people.
Paying attention to and correcting nutrition in older people, specifically those who are ill, can lead to a significant improvement in their well-being.
Arabian researchers studied aspects of the quality of life of 225 hospitalised men and women, aged 75 years on average. The patients, hospitalised for cardiovascular problems, lung disease, fractures, or infections, received a normal hospital diet plus either a placebo drink or a 995-calorie nutritional supplement twice daily for 6 weeks. The nutritional supplement provided 100 percent of the Reference Nutrient Intakes for older adults for vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid, as well as the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, and selenium.
It was found that quality of life assessments after 6 weeks did not identify significant differences between the patients who received the supplements compared with those given the placebo. However, after 6 months the patients given the nutritional supplement showed significantly better quality of life scores compared with patients who got the placebo.
Measures of physical and social function were better, vitality was better, and mental health improved among the supplemented compared with non-supplemented patients.
This trial demonstrated that nutritional supplementation in hospitalised older people provides clinically important benefits. Widespread use of nutritional supplements among older patients could have a substantial impact on the quality of life for older people.