Para evaluar algunas variables antropometricas y bioquimicas en ancianos institucionalizados, se selecciono a 31 varones y a 32 mujeres, mayores de 60 anos, de un hogar geriatrico de Valencia, Venezuela. Se determinaron el peso, la talla, la altura de la rodilla, la circunferencia del brazo, el pliegue tricipital, la circunferencia muscular del brazo y el indice de masa corporal, asi como la hemoglobina, el recuento linfocitario, la albumina, la transferrina y el colesterol serico. Se realizo la prueba de la t de Student, el test ANOVA y la prueba de la χ2. Segun edad: < 80 anos (60,3%) y. de 80 anos (39,7%). Segun IMC: bajo peso (9,5%) y obesos (11,1%). Segun el Mini Nutritional Assessment, el 14,3% estaba desnutrido, el 69,8% presentaba riesgo de desnutricion y el 15,9% se hallaba en estado satisfactorio; el exceso predominaba en las mujeres (χ2: 13,4; p < 0,05). Las ancianas mostraron un pliegue tricipital, una circunferencia del brazo, un indice de masa corporal, un area grasa y un recuento linfocitario significativamente mayores que los ancianos (p < 0,05), asi como cifras menores en talla, hemoglobina, hematocrito, albumina y colesterol. Los ancianos < 80 anos mostraron valores antropometricos (percentil 50) superiores al grupo de. 80 anos, mientras que los valores bioquimicos fueron similares para ambos grupos de edad. Solo se observaron diferencias significativas entre el grupo de desnutridos y el grupo a riesgo (p < 0,05) para peso, circunferencia del brazo, circunferencia muscular del brazo y area muscular; y entre los desnutridos y estado satisfactorio para edad, peso, circunferencia de brazo, circunferencia muscular del brazo y atencion medica. Hubo un 9,5% de anemia, un 17,4% de hipotransferrinemia, un 31,7% de hipoalbuminemia, un 9,5% de leucopenia y un 18% de hipocolesterolemia, con mayor afeccion en las mujeres. Existe gran variabilidad entre indicadores antropometricos y bioquimicos relacionada con el avance de la edad, lo que incrementa el riesgo nutricional.
To characterise anthropometric and biochemical variables among the elderly population, 31 men and 32 women (aged 60 or more years) from a geriatric home in Valencia, Venezuela were studied. Weight, height, knee height, mid-upper arm circumference (MAC), triceps skinfold (TSF), mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), fat area, and body mass index (BMI) were determined. Haemoglobin, lymphocyte count, albumin, transferrin and serum cholesterol were also measured. Student's t test, χ2, and ANOVA were performed. A total of 60.3% of the patients were aged less than 80 years old, while 39.7% were aged 80 years old or more. According to BMI measurements, 9.5% of the subjects had low weight and 11.1% were obese. Obesity was more frequent among women than men (χ2 = 13.4; p < 0.05). The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale revealed that 14.3% were suffering from malnutrition, 69.8% were at nutritional risk, and 15.9% had satisfactory nutritional status. Women showed significantly higher values for TSF, MAC, BMI, fat area and lymphocyte count than men (p < 0.05), but lower values for height, haemoglobin, haemocrit, albumin and cholesterol. Anthropometric values (at the 50th percentile) in the elderly aged less than 80 years were higher than in those aged. 80 years. Biochemical values showed no significant differences by age. Significant differences were found only between the malnourished group and the group at nutritional risk (p < 0.05) in weight, MAC, MAMC and fat area and between the malnourished group and the group with satisfactory nutritional status in age, weight, MAC, MAMC and fat area. Anemia was found in 9.5%, low transferring levels in 17.4%, low albumin levels in 31.7%, leucopenia in 9.5%, and low cholesterol in 18%; women were more frequently affected than men. Wide variability in anthropometric and biochemical parameters in relation to ageing was found, which increases nutritional risk.
