Discriminant biochemical markers for evaluating the nutritional status of elderly patients in long-term care.

To determine the most discriminant serum markers of protein-energy status in elderly patients, we performed a discriminant analysis of 85 subjects grouped according to triceps skinfold and midarm circumference values as compared with reference percentiles. Results indicated that neither the classic serum indices of nutritional assessment nor retinol-binding protein can predict undernutrition. However, creatinine, urea, carotene, complement C3, and prealbumin included in a function enabled high discrimination between groups: 68% of subjects in 0-5th percentile for triceps skinfold and 75% of subjects in 0-5th percentile for midarm circumference are correctly predicted. Lower serum concentration was found in the lower anthropometric percentiles except for serum carotene, which showed an inverse relation not explained by diet. We found that nutritional alterations exist in hospitalized elderly patients. We emphasize the importance of considering several biochemical markers for detection of mal-nutrition and the pertinency of further exploration of serum carotene profiles in undernourished elderly patients.