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Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are two chronic conditions, which widely affect older people and share common risk factors. We investigated the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and sarcopenia, including the overlap of both conditions (osteosarcopenia) in 572 older hospitalized patients (mean age 75.1 \(\pm\) 10.8 years, 78% women) with known or suspected osteoporosis in this prospective observational multicenter study. Sarcopenia was assessed according to the revised definition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2). Low BMD was defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations as a T-score < −1.0. Osteosarcopenia was diagnosed when both low BMD and sarcopenia were present. Low BMD was prevalent in 76% and the prevalence of sarcopenia was 9%, with 90% of the sarcopenic patients showing the overlap of osteosarcopenia (8% of the entire population). Conversely, only few patients with low BMD demonstrated sarcopenia (11%). Osteosarcopenic patients were older and frailer and had lower BMI, fat, and muscle mass, handgrip strength, and T-score compared to nonosteosarcopenic patients. We conclude that osteosarcopenia is extremely common in sarcopenic subjects. Considering the increased risk of falls in patients with sarcopenia, they should always be evaluated for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are two chronic conditions, which widely affect older people and share common risk factors. We investigated the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and sarcopenia, including the overlap of both conditions (osteosarcopenia) in 572 older hospitalized patients (mean age 75.1 ± 10.8 years, 78% women) with known or suspected osteoporosis in this prospective observational multicenter study. Sarcopenia was assessed according to the revised definition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2). Low BMD was defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations as a T-score &lt, −1.0. Osteosarcopenia was diagnosed when both low BMD and sarcopenia were present. Low BMD was prevalent in 76% and the prevalence of sarcopenia was 9%, with 90% of the sarcopenic patients showing the overlap of osteosarcopenia (8% of the entire population). Conversely, only few patients with low BMD demonstrated sarcopenia (11%). Osteosarcopenic patients were older and frailer and had lower BMI, fat, and muscle mass, handgrip strength, and T-score compared to nonosteosarcopenic patients. We conclude that osteosarcopenia is extremely common in sarcopenic subjects. Considering the increased risk of falls in patients with sarcopenia, they should always be evaluated for osteoporosis.

Gero Lueg,1 Rainer Wirth,1 Julia Kwiatkowski,1 Alexander Rösler,2 Martin Jäger,3 Ilse Gehrke,4 Dorothee Volkert,5 Maryam Pourhassan1 On behalf of the “Nutrition and Metabolism” of the German Geriatric Society (DGG) working group1Department of Geriatric Medicine, Marien Hospital Herne, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Herne, Germany; 2Department of Geriatrics, Bethesda Krankenhaus Bergedorf, Hamburg, Germany; 3Clinic for Geriatrics, Hüttenhospital, Dortmund, Germany; 4Clinic for Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Schwarzwald-Baar Klinikum, Donaueschingen, Germany; 5Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, GermanyCorrespondence: Maryam Pourhassan Department of Geriatric MedicineMarien Hospital Herne, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne D- 44625, GermanyTel +49-2323-499-2416Fax +49-2323-499-2417Email maryam.pourhassan@ruhr-uni-bochum.deBackground: Studies focusing on self-perception of nutritional status in older hospitalized patients are lacking. We aimed to examine the self-perception of body weight and nutritional status among older hospitalized patients compared to their actual body weight and nutritional status based on medical assessment.Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study investigated 197 older participants (mean age 82.2± 6.8 years, 61% women) who were consecutively admitted to the geriatric acute care ward. Body weight status and nutritional status were assessed using WHO-BMI classification and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), respectively. Self-perceived body weight status and nutritional status were assessed with a standardized questionnaire. A follow-up was performed with a short telephone interview after three months.Results: According to MNA-SF, 49% and 35% were at risk of malnutrition and malnourished, respectively. There was no agreement between self-perceived nutritional status and objective nutritional status according to MNA-SF (Kappa: 0.06). A slight agreement was found between subjective body weight status and objective body weight status according to WHO-BMI classification (Kappa: 0.19). A total of 184 patients completed the 3 months follow-up and additional 9 patients died during this time, of which 7 and 2 were malnourished and at risk of malnutrition according to MNA-SF, respectively. Of those who were malnourished and at risk of malnutrition based on MNA-SF and died during follow-up, 67.7% did not realize their malnutrition. Compared to the patients with normal nutritional status during hospitalization, malnourished patients based on MNA-SF had higher rates of unplanned hospital readmission and further weight loss and more often reported health deterioration and experienced death within three months after discharge.Conclusion: No agreement between self-perceived nutritional status and objective nutritional status among older hospitalized patients was found. Our study highlights the need to raise knowledge about the issue of malnutrition and increase awareness of health risks associated with malnutrition among older hospitalized patients.Keywords: body weight, geriatrics, malnutrition, older patients, self-perception

The effect of inflammation on appetite and food intake has been rarely studied in humans. In this study, we examined the association of C-reactive protein (CRP), as an inflammatory marker, with appetite and food intake among older hospitalized patients. A total of 200 older individuals, who were consecutively admitted to a geriatric acute care ward, participated in this prospective observational study. Appetite was evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), respectively. Food intake was measured according to plate diagram method and participants were categorized as having food intake 3.0 (mg/dL) were considered as moderate to severe inflammation. Of total population with mean age 81.4 ± 6.6 years (62.5% females), 51 (25.5%) had no inflammation and 88 (44.0%) and 61 (30.5%) had mild and moderate to severe inflammation, respectively. According to MNA-SF, 9.0% and 60.0% had normal nutritional status or a risk of malnutrition, respectively, whereas 31.0% were malnourished. Based on the SNAQ-appetite-question, 32.5% of the patients demonstrated poor and very poor appetite whereas 23.5% reported severe loss of appetite according to ESAS. Ninety-five (48.0%) of the participants had food intake p = 0.003) and ESAS-appetite (p = 0.013) scores and CRP levels were observed. In addition, significant differences were observed in CRP levels between intake ≥75% and p < 0.001). Furthermore, there were significant associations between appetite and nutritional status whereas malnourished older patients demonstrated a decreased appetite compared to those with normal nutritional status (p = 0.011). In a regression analysis, inflammation was the major independent risk factor for patients’ appetite (p = 0.003) and food intake (p = 0.011) whereas other variables such as infection (p = 0.960), chronic inflammatory diseases (p = 0.371), age (p = 0.679) and gender (p = 0.447) do not show any impact on appetite. Our findings confirm that poor appetite and low food intake are associated with inflammation in older hospitalized patients, suggesting that inflammation may contribute an important aspect to the development of malnutrition in these patients.

Malnutrition is widespread in older people and represents a major geriatric syndrome with multifactorial etiology and severe consequences for health outcomes and quality of life. The aim of the present paper is to describe current approaches and evidence regarding malnutrition treatment and to highlight relevant knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Recently published guidelines of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) provide a summary of the available evidence and highlight the wide range of different measures that can be taken—from the identification and elimination of potential causes to enteral and parenteral nutrition—depending on the patient’s abilities and needs. However, more than half of the recommendations therein are based on expert consensus because of a lack of evidence, and only three are concern patient-centred outcomes. Future research should further clarify the etiology of malnutrition and identify the most relevant causes in order to prevent malnutrition. Based on limited and partly conflicting evidence and the limitations of existing studies, it remains unclear which interventions are most effective in which patient groups, and if specific situations, diseases or etiologies of malnutrition require specific approaches. Patient-relevant outcomes such as functionality and quality of life need more attention, and research methodology should be harmonised to allow for the comparability of studies.