[Effect of nutrition on the functional capacity of a group of elderly Spaniards]. / Influencia de la nutrición en la capacidad funcional de un grupo de ancianos españoles.

The present study analyzes the influence of the nutritional status on the functional capability of 11 institutionalized elderly living in Madrid (Spain). Nutritional status was evaluated by dietetic, anthropometric, hematological and biochemical data and functional status was evaluated considering adiposity, strength in hands and legs bent and stretched and flexibility. The most important nutritional problems that conditional functional wastages are obesity, hypercholesterolemia and protein and micronutrient deficiency. The adverse influence of obesity and hypercholesterolemia on the functional capacity of the elderly is shown by the inverse relationship between flexibility and strength in hands and legs with the adiposity degree, with the thickness of skin folds and the cholesterolemia. In reference to the diet's influence, there are positive correlations between food intake and most of the nutrients with hand and legs strength, and there are statistical significances for proteins, iron, zinc, magnesium and pyridoxine, and also for vitamin C, niacin, thiamin, folic acid and vitamin E. For blood values, the mayor correlation exists between functional parameters and iron, ferritin and vitamin C levels. Our results contribute to confirm the influence of nutrition on the functional capacity of the influence of nutrition on the functional capacity of the elderly and manifest the necessity of improving the elderly's diet, to prevent micronutrient deficiency and also the necessity of increasing their physical activity. Both measures will mean an important help for sanitary and functional improvement of the elderly.

[Anthropometric evaluation of the nutritional status of a elderly group from Madrid (Spain)]. / Valoración antropométrica del estado nutricional de un colectivo de ancianos de Madrid (España).

Body composition was assessed by means of anthropometry in a group of 75 elderly people (21 men and 54 women), aged 65 to 95 years (mean age 82.1 +/- 0.7) (x +/- SE), mean weight 58.5 +/- 1.7 kg and mean height 150.4 +/- 1.1 cm, which live in al Old People's Home in the Autonomic Community of Madrid. The average Quetelet Index 25.7 +/- 0.7 kg/m2 indicates a basically normal situation although there are 21% obese elderly with Quetelet over 30 kg/m2 and 12% of the cases with the index under 20 kg/m2. Even though the skinfold thickness in our population is inferior to the results obtained in other studies, the triceps skinfold is nearer the values given by other authors, and the suprailiac skinfold is completely different. This means that the elderly studied have less abdominal fat accumulation and more accumulation in arms and legs. This fat distribution can be beneficial in relationship to the risk of suffering several pathologies. Of the males, 15% and 22% of the females have their weight 25% and 30%, respectively, higher than their ideal weight. But there are also some of them with ponderal deficiency; by this means, 23% have 95% lesser than their ideal weight, indicating moderate malnutrition. A total of 16% have less than 85%, indicating medium malnutrition and 2 have less than 75% of the ideal weight, which is indicating of severe deficiency. With age, the measured height, weight, skinfolds, circumferences and diameters, the fat and lean body mass values decrease, the abdominal skinfold and the fat body mass decreasing significantly. Our results can contribute to increase knowledge as to the nutritional status and body composition of the Spanish elderly, and emphasize the coexistence of fat and ponderal excess with deficiencies of higher or lower importance.