Nutritional parameters in subjects aged 60 years and over [PARAMETRI NUTRIZIONALI IN SOGGETTI CON ETA SUPERIORE A 60 ANNI]

Nutritional assessment of the elderly presents some difficulties because of the lack of reference values. Moreover chronic age-related diseases can interfere with the physiological nutritional values. Anthropometric (triceps skinfold, arm muscle area, total body muscle mass, fat mass and Body Mass Index = BMI), biochemical (prealbumin, transferrin, ceruloplasmin, total protein, albumin) and immunological (total lymphocytes) parameters were examined in 583 subjects of over 60 years, selected following specific criteria and with BMI < 30. The t-test evaluation of all anthropometric parameters (except BMI) showed a significant difference in both age (p < 0.05) and sex (p < 0.05) values; there were also significant differences in prealbumin and ceruloplasmin levels for both sex (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05) and for sex only (p < 0.05) respectively. Comparing our biochemical mean values using the t-test with those from our Analysis Laboratory, we found that the ceruloplasmin and prealbumin mean values for our sample were higher (p < 0.05) than from our Laboratory, while both protein and albumin levels were lower (p < 0.05).