Search

Objective: To determine the causes of weight loss in nursing home residents. Design: Retrospective chart review of all weights over the previous 6 months and an in-depth examination of all residents who lost 5 or more pounds over that period. Setting: A for-profit community nursing home in an urban area. Subjects: All residents who had been in the nursing home for 3 or more months. Their mean age was 80.1 years, and 89% were female. Results: Weight loss of 5 pounds or more occurred in 19% of subjects. Only 15% of subjects had lost 5% of body weight, and 4% had lost more than 10% of their body weight. Depression accounted for 36% of the weight loss. Other causes of anorexia included medications, psychotropic drug reduction, swallowing disorders, paranoia, dementia with apraxia, gallstones, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Increased energy utilization as a cause of weight loss was seen in two residents who wandered incessantly, one with tardive dyskinesia and one with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dehydration was the cause of weight loss in two residents, and one resident had intentional weight loss for obesity. Cancer was the cause of weight loss in two residents. Four of 30 residents had more than one cause of weight loss. One of 25 tube-fed residents displayed weight loss. Conclusions: A single cause of weight loss can be identified in most nursing home residents. Depression is the most common cause of weight loss. Psychotropic drug reduction may cause weight loss. The majority of causes of weight loss in a community nursing home are potentially treatable.

Objective: To determine normal serum bone-related biochemical variables in older African-Americans. Design: A convenience sample of older African-Americans who had a health screening and blood testing for calciotropic hormones was compared with white Americans who were recruited at the end of the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) study and were not on a thiazide diuretic. Setting: Community-dwelling African-Americans who participated in SHEP or who attended one of two mass health screenings. Participants: Thirty-two African-Americans aged 68–93 years and 43 white Americans aged 70–89 years. Measurements: Twenty-five hydroxyvitamin D (250HD), parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, and calcitonin. Results: Serum 250HD levels in 38% of the African-American men and 38% of African-American women were less than 8 ng/mL compared with 22% of Caucasian men and 40% of Caucasian women. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) was above the normal range in 25% of men and 33% of women of African-American descent and 14% of Caucasian men and 30% of Caucasian women. Serum 25OHD was lower (P < 0.05) in individuals with a previous history of fracture. Serum albumin (P < 0.05), calcitonin (P < 0.05), and osteocalcin (P < 0.05), but not 25OHD, were lower in African-Americans (men and women) when compared with Caucasians (P < 0.05). Serum calcium corrected for albumin was higher in the African-Americans than in the Caucasians (P < 0.05). As previously reported in Caucasians, PTH was inversely related to log 25OHD in African-Americans. Serum osteocalcin was positively correlated to PTH in African-Americans, as previously reported in Caucasians. Log 25OHD correlated inversely with osteocalcin in African-Americans, but this was not seen in Caucasians. Conclusions: In this limited sample, hypovitaminosis D (as assessed by 25OHD level) with secondary hyperparathyroidism occurred frequently in elderly African-Americans. Osteocalcin, a measure of osteoblast activity, correlated with 25OHD and parathyroid hormone. Osteocalcin serum levels were lower in African-Americans than Caucasians, but serum calcium corrected for albumin was higher in the former compared to the latter.

Objective To examine the effects of testosterone administration to older hypogonadal males (bioavailable testosterone less than 70 ng/dL). Design Alternate-case controlled trial. Setting St. Louis University. Patients Eight males (mean age 77.6 ± 2.3 years) who received testosterone and six males (mean age 76 ± 2.3 years) who served as controls. Selected from alumni of the SHEP trial and attendees at the St. Louis University Impotence Clinic. Interventions Testosterone enanthate (200 mg/mL) was administered intramuscularly to the treatment group every 2 weeks for 3 months. Measurements Serum testosterone, bioavailable testerone and estradiol, weight, % body fat, right hand muscle strength, balance, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, hematocrit, BUN, creatinine, albumin, calcium, PTH, 25(OH) vitamin D, 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D, osteocalcin, prostate-specific antigen, and fructosamine. Results Males who received testosterone had a significant increase in testosterone and bioavailable testosterone concentration, hematocrit, right hand muscle strength and osteocalcin concentration. They had a decrease in cholesterol (without a change in HDL-cholesterol) levels and decreased BUN/Creatinine ratios. Conclusion These preliminary findings support the need for long term studies of testosterone therapy in older hypogonadal males.