ESPEN 2011 Late breaking abstract submission

Topic: Late Breaking Abstract

Abs n°:ESPEN11-2083

Abs Title: SURVEY IN GERMAN AMBULATORY ORTHOPAEDIC REHABILITATION CENTRES: DO NUTRIENT INTAKE AND NUTRITIONAL THERAPY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SARCOPENIA?

J. Nikolov ¹N. Stobäus ^2,*M. Pirlich ³J. Thorwarth ¹J.-D. Schulzke ²K. Norman ¹

¹Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, ²Department of General Medicine, CHARITÉ - UNIVERSITY MEDICINE, ³Evangelische Elisabeth Klinik, Berlin, Germany

Rationale: Physical activity and increased protein intake in elderly are important factors for the prevention of sarcopenia. Our aim was to investigate availability of dietary counselling as well as supply of nutritional supplements in the centres on the one hand and to assess nutritional intake of patients in ambulatory orthopaedic rehabilitation on the other hand.

Methods: A detailled questionnaire was sent to 110 ambulatory orthopaedic rehabilitation centres in Germany to assess the offer of dietary counselling and nutritional supplements. Second, patients undergoing ambulatory rehabilitation were questionned for dietary intake und nutritional therapy using a 24h-recall.

Results: The questionnaires were completed by 82 centres. 47% of patients treated in these centres were older than 60 years. Dietary counselling was offered in 82% of the centres with the focus on obesity in 51%, general counselling in 47% and counselling of elderly patients in 23%. Only 15% of the centres provided nutritional supplements.
116 subjects participated in the second part of the survey. Age ranged from 20 to 86 years and 54% were older than 55 years. Protein intake was significantly lower in older (0.86 g/kg body weight) than in younger patients (1.00 g/kg body weight; p=0.041). In addition, older patients had a significantly lower energy intake (20.6 kcal/kg body weight vs. 23.7 kcal/kg body weight, p=0.009). Distribution of the median energy and protein intake was 400 kcal/12 g at breakfast, 667 kcal/31.7 g at lunch and 632 kcal/25.9 g at dinner.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that dietary protein intake in elderly undergoing ambulatory orthopaedic rehabilitation did not meet the suggested requirements for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. The ambulatory rehabilitation centres should optimize nutritional intervention and counselling.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared

Keywords: None