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Personalized Diets help Older Patients live
longer after hospitalization
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, December 2, 2010 --
Intense, individually tailored dietary
treatment for acutely hospitalized elderly
has a significant impact on mortality,
according to a new study by researchers at
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The intervention study just published in the
prestigious Journal of the American
Geriatric Society showed higher death rates
six months after discharge (11.6 percent) of
the control group compared to the
intervention group’s death rate of 3.8
percent, which received intensive
nutritional treatment designed and
implemented by a registered dietician.
The study recruited 259 hospitalized adults
aged 65 and older who were nutritionally at
risk. After six months, the rise in the
mini-nutritional assessment score (an
indicator of nutritional status) was
significantly higher in the intervention
group than in the control group.
According to BGU researcher Dr. Danit R.
Shahar, “This is the first study that used
an individually tailored dietary treatment
for acutely hospitalized elderly people.
The results indicate that intense dietary
treatment reduces mortality and can help
reduce the need for re-hospitalization.”
In the study, a dietician met each patient
upon admission to the hospital. The
dietitian then followed the patient in his
home, visiting three times after discharge.
The study dieticians (case managers) were the
decision-makers regarding appropriate
treatment and set up treatment goals. The
basic approach was to develop a dietary menu
based on inexpensive food sources and
recipes.
Patients had monthly contact by telephone to
improve cooperation and prevent dropout from
the study. The dieticians performed follow
up assessment three to six months after
discharges for all patients.
While the overall dropout rate was 25.8
percent, a standard range for elderly
studies, after six months the rise in the
mini-nutritional assessment score (an
indicator of nutritional status) was
significantly higher in the intervention
group than in the control group.
The study was supported by the Israel
National Institute for Health Policy and
Health Services Research.
