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Ghrelin, anthropometry and nutritional assessment in geriatric hospital patients

Ghrelin, Anthropometrie und Ernährungsassessment bei geriatrischen Krankenhauspatienten

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Abstract

Loss of appetite is an important causal factor for malnutrition in the elderly, and age-associated changes of hormone levels seem to be of great relevance in this regard. At present there has been no study exploring the role of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin in geriatric hospital patients.

Study population

121 (f 82, m 39) patients from two geriatric wards of our hospital. Mean age was 80.2±7.7 years.

Results

The basal ghrelin level (mean 158.43±144.02 pg/ml) showed no gender difference. No association with the age of the patients could be demonstrated. There was an inverse correlation of basal ghrelin with BMI, upper arm circumference, triceps skin fold, basal leptin and insulin. No correlation between established screening/assessment tools for malnutrition – Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) – could be shown. Even after grouping the ghrelin levels into six different disease categories, no significant difference could be shown between them.

Conclusion

For our patients aged 67 to 94, no correlation with age could be shown. Nevertheless the basal level of ghrelin is substantially lower when compared to a younger population with similar BMI, while the anorectic hormone leptin shows no substantial difference. This causes a more anorectic hormonal constellation which may contribute to the loss of appetite in geriatric patients.

Zusammenfassung

Appetitmangel ist ein für die Entstehung der Mangelernährung bei älteren Menschen bedeutender Kausalfaktor, für dessen Entstehung altersassoziierte hormonelle Veränderungen als wesentlich erachtet werden. Bezogen auf geriatrische Patienten existieren bislang keine Untersuchungen zur Rolle des appetitregulierenden Hormons Ghrelin.

Patientengut

121 (w 82, m 39) Patienten zweier akutgeriatrischen Krankenhausstationen. Durchschnittsalter 80,2±7,7 Jahre.

Ergebnisse

Der basale Ghrelinspiegel (Mittelwert 158,43±144,02 pg/ml) wies keine signifikanten Geschlechtsunterschiede auf, noch war eine Assoziation mit dem Alter der Patienten nachweisbar. Es zeigte sich eine signifikante inverse Korrelation des Ghrelinspiegels zu BMI, Oberarmumfang, Trizepshautfaltendicke sowie zum Leptin- und Insulinspiegel. Zwischen den Ghrelinspiegeln und den Ergebnissen etablierter Screening-/Assessmentverfahren bezüglich des Vorliegens einer Mangelernährung – Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) – ließ sich keine Korrelation nachweisen. Nach Zusammenfassung der Patienten zu größeren Erkrankungsgruppen (u. a. zerebrovaskuläre, infektiöse, tumoröse Erkrankungen) zeigte sich bei Vergleich der Ghrelinspiegel keine signifikante Differenz zwischen den Gruppen.

Schlussfolgerung

Obwohl für Patienten zwischen 67 und 94 Jahren keine Korrelation zum Alter nachweisbar war, ist die Höhe des basalen Ghrelinspiegels im Vergleich zu einem jüngeren Kollektiv mit ähnlichen BMI-Werte deutlich geringer. Das anorektische Hormon Leptin zeigt hingegen keine wesentlichen Unterschiede. Es resultiert eine mehr anorektische Hormonkonstellation, die zum Appetitmangel geriatrischer Patienten beitragen kann.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V – Geriatrie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Medizinische Klinik 2 Klinikum Nürnberg, Prof.-Ernst-Nathan-Straße 1, 90419, Nürnberg, Germany

    J. M. Bauer, R. Wirth, J. Troegner, T. Eberl, H. J. Heppner & C. C. Sieber

  2. Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Zentrum für Ernährungsmedizin, Technische Universität München, München, Germany

    J. Erdmann & V. Schusdziarra

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  1. J. M. Bauer
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  2. R. Wirth
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  3. J. Troegner
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  4. J. Erdmann
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  5. T. Eberl
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  6. H. J. Heppner
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  7. V. Schusdziarra
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  8. C. C. Sieber
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Correspondence to J. M. Bauer.

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Bauer, J.M., Wirth, R., Troegner, J. et al. Ghrelin, anthropometry and nutritional assessment in geriatric hospital patients. Z Gerontol Geriatr 40, 31–36 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-007-0429-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-007-0429-3

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