Unintentional Weight Loss in the Elderly at a Nursing Home in Japan : Time of Onset, Changes, and Association with M ortality

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Background: Although unintentional weight loss is a frequently encountered problem in care settings,little is known about when it starts. The authors observed body weight longitudinally in an elderlypopulation and examined its association with mortality. M ethods : Body weight was monitored inresidents who lived in a nursing home for the elderly in Tokyo between fiscal years 2002 and 2004,withthe final observation date set at October 2008 for survivors and at the date of death for those who died.The 3-year period before the final date was divided into six periods. A linear regression coefficient wascalculated as the rate of weight change for each period and compared between survivors and those whodied. Results : In the mortality group, significant weight loss was seen from 24 months beforedeath : －0.42kg, －0.62kg, －0.90kg, and －1.78kg in 19-24 months, 13-18 months, 7-12 months, and1-6 months before death, respectively. In the survival group, there was no significant change in anyperiod. Logistic regression analysis showed that weight change adjusted by sex,age,dementia,and BMIwas significantly associated with mortality. The weight loss was large in residents with dementia.Conclusions : Weight loss began 2 years before death. The findings suggest the importance of dailyweight measurements to detect changes associated with mortality.
2011-11-01