Nutrition, general health status and oral health status in hospitalised elders

Biological malnutrition was assessed and correlated with salivary flow rates and oral health in 99 elderly, hospitalised non-psychiatric patients. The indicators of protein malnutrition used were arm circumference and serum albumin level and the indicators of energy malnutrition the body mass-index and the triceps skin-fold thickness. Unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates were measured according to Sreebny et al. Of the patients, 40% showed severely and 46% moderately reduced serum albumin levels and the anthropometric measurements indicated malnutrition in about 50%. Unstimulated hyposialia (< or = 0.1 ml/min) and stimulated hyposialia (< or = 0.5 ml/min) were observed in 17% and 26.5%, respectively. Significant associations (P < or = 0.05) were found between stimulated/unstimulated hyposialia and biological malnutrition. There was a negative relationship between the number of masticatory movements until swallowing a standard biscuit and skin fold thickness (P < or = 0.05). Current weight loss and biological malnutrition were related to poor appetite (P < or = 0.05). The study has confirmed poor general and oral health status as well as protein-energy malnutrition among elderly hospitalised patients. This situation was associated with loss of appetite, reduced salivary flow rates and a certain impairment of masticatory function which could jeopardise the reversibility of malnutrition and lead to increased morbidity and mortality.