Malnutrition in Older Adults: The Hidden Threat to Healthy Longevity
By Janet Helm
When you think about malnutrition, you may picture famine or starving children in developing countries. But in the United States and across the globe, malnutrition among older adults is a quiet epidemic hiding in plain sight.
A comprehensive meta-analysis of 98 studies found that about one in five older adults worldwide is malnourished, and in the Americas specifically, that number climbs to more than 20%. The more rigorous Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria, which are now endorsed by major scientific societies worldwide, revealed an even greater prevalence of malnutrition, reaching 50% among older patients who are hospitalized or who live in nursing homes.
Malnutrition is re-emerging as a leading cause of death in the aging U.S. population, with deaths related to malnutrition among the oldest Americans rising nearly 6% annually for the past two decades, according to research. Despite its impacts on longevity and healthy aging, malnutrition is routinely overlooked and undertreated, especially among older adults.
Source U.S. News & World Report
