NH residents with pneumonia have specific risk factors associated with 30-day mortality. Malnutrition and acute mental change appear as major determinants of death in this population.
Essential amino acids (EAAs) are nutritional substrates that promote body protein synthesis; thus we hypothesised that their supplementation may improve circulating albumin (Alb) and haemoglobin (Hb) in rehabilitative elderly patients following hip fractures (HF). Out of the 145 HF patients originally enrolled in our study, 112 completed the protocol. These subjects were divided into two randomised groups, each containing 56 patients. For a period of two months, one group (age 81.4 ± 8.1 years; male/female 27/29) received a placebo, and the other (age 83.1 ± 7.5 years; male/female 25/31) received 4 + 4 g/day oral EAAs. At admission, the prevalence of both hypoAlb (<3.5 g/dL) and hypoHb (<13 g/dL male, <12 g/dL female) was similar in the placebo group (64.3% hypoAlb, 66% hypoHb) and the treated group of patients (73.2% hypoAlb, 67.8% hypoHb). At discharge, however, the prevalence of hypoAlb had reduced more in EAAs than in placebo subjects (31.7% in EAAs vs. 77.8% in placebo; p < 0.001). There was a 34.2% reduction of anaemia in hypoHb in EAA subjects and 18.9% in placebo subjects, but the difference was not statistically significant. Oral supplementation of EAAs improves hypoAlb and, to a lesser extent, Hb in elderly rehabilitative subjects with hip fractures. Anaemia was reduced in more than one third of patients, which, despite not being statistically significant, may be clinically relevant.
Background Persistent systemic inflammation leads to multidistrectual body dysfunctions. Attenuation of inflammation may improve patients’ functional and life prognoses. We hypothesized that essential amino acids (EAAs) given to elderly patients in rehabilitation after acute diseases may be associated with a reduced inflammatory state. Therefore, this retrospective study investigated whether the supplementation of EAAs – modulators of immune competence – was associated with a reduced inflammation rate in elderly patients. Methods The medical records of 282 patients admitted to the rehabilitation (rehab) institute after acute index events (surgery or medical diseases) (age: 81.18 ± 8.58 years; females: 67.9%) were analyzed. Results 46 patients (16.3% of the entire population) had received EAA supplements (S), whereas the remaining 236 patients had not (N-S). Systemic inflammation (I) (serum C-reactive protein (CRP) > 0.5 mg/dL) was present in 67.4% of the I-S group and 57.2% of the I-N-S group. During rehab, the I-S group (but not the I-N-S group) showed a reduction in CRP levels ( p = 0.03) and an increase in circulating lymphocytes ( p = 0.035), immune cells of the adaptive immune system. C-reactive protein levels remained virtually unchanged in non-inflamed patients who received supplements but increased in non-inflamed patients who did not receive supplements ( p = 0.05). Stratified for developed infections, CRP levels reduced in S patients ( p = 0.008) but did not in N-S patients. Conclusion EAA supplementation was associated with reduced inflammation in both inflamed and infected patients. In addition, EAA supplementation was associated with increased circulating lymphocytes in inflamed patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.