Nutritional assessment of geriatric patients with physical deconditioning syndrome
Keywords:
physical deconditioning, geriatric assessment, older patient, nutritional assessment, malnutritionAbstract
Introduction: Physical deconditioning syndrome in older adults, common after hospitalization or immobility, carries a high risk of malnutrition, affects recovery and quality of life.
Objective: To characterize the nutritional status of geriatric patients with physical deconditioning syndrome.
Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study in 60 patients aged ≥60 years. Body mass index (BMI), nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment-MNA), risk of pressure ulcers (Norton scale), and biochemical parameters (hemoglobin, cholesterol, creatinine, blood glucose) were evaluated.
Results: The mean age was 78.7 years (70 % women). Forty percent were underweight, 48.3 % were at risk of malnutrition, and 25 % had established malnutrition. Forty-one point six percent showed a moderate risk of pressure ulcers. The mean hemoglobin was 10.5 g/dL, with a minimum value of 3.6 g/dL.
Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of malnutrition and anemia in older adults with physical deconditioning, highlighting the need for systematic nutritional assessments and integrated interventions in rehabilitation to improve clinical outcomes.
Downloads
References
1. Romo Chamorro KM, Ardila Villareal GM. Recuperación desde de la unidad de cuidados intensivos y el desafío del síndrome de desacondicionamiento físico. Boletín Informativo CEI [Internet]. 2023 [Acceso: 10-12-2025]; 10(3):87-8. Disponible en: https://revistas.umariana.edu.co/index.php/BoletinInformativoCEI/ article/view/3932
2. Valencia Solarte AI, Ardila Villareal GM. Evaluación del desacondicionamiento físico en usuarios hospitalizados. Bol. Informativo CEI [Internet]. 2024 Acceso: 10 12-2025]; 11(3):51-3. Disponible en: https://revistas.umariana.edu.co/index.php/ BoletinInformativoCEI/ /view/4371
3. Belaunde Clausell A, Lluis Ramos GE. Valoración geriátrica desde la atención hospitalaria. Rev. cuba. med. mil [Internet]. 2020 [Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 49(2):434-7. Disponible en: https://revmedmilitar.sld.cu/index.php/mil/article/view/513
4. Belaunde Clausell A, Lluis Ramos GE, Díaz Machado A. Índice de fragilidad para ancianos hospitalizados. Rev haban cienc méd [Internet]. 2023 [Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 22(4):e5370; Disponible en: http://www.revhabanera.sld.cu/index.php/rhab/article/view/5370
5. Labrada-Rodríguez YH, de-Ory-López E, Minaya-Saiz J, Cuenca-Zaldívar JN, Ávila-Tato MR. Variables predictoras de ganancia funcional en pacientes con síndrome de desacondicionamiento asociado a hospitalización. Rev.Med.Electrón. [Internet]. 2024 [Acceso: 10-12-2025]; 46: [aprox 6p]. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo .php?script=sci_ &pid=S1684 18242024000100108 &lng=es.
6. Franco-Jiménez AM. Ejercicio de larga duración reduce la oscilación postural en adultos mayores activos. Rev. Univ. Ind. Santander. Salud [Internet]. 2024 [Acceso: 10-12-2025]; 56:e24024. Disponible en: http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S012108072024000124024&lng=en.
7. Castellanos-Ruiz J, Montealegre-Mesa LM, Franco-Villada MA, Mejía GT, Quechotl-Benítez R. Resistencia aeróbica: parámetros de prescripción del ejercicio físico con realidad virtual para personas mayores. Rev. Digit. Act. Fis. Deport. [Internet]. 2023 [Acceso: 10-12-2025]; 10(1): [aprox. 6p]. Disponible en: https://revistas.udca.edu.co/index.php/rdafd/article/view/2326
8. Danger Danger Y, Abreus Mora JL, González Curbelo VB, Alfonso Antúnez M. Ejercicio físico y percepción de esfuerzo en adultos mayores. RUS [Internet]. 2024 [Acceso: 10-12-025]; 16(5):515-24. Disponible en: https://rus.ucf.edu.cu/index.php/rus/article/view/4651
9. Belaunde Clausell A, Lluis Ramos GE, Valladares Reyes D. Valoración nutricional en ancianos discapacitados. Medimay [Internet]. 2022 [Acceso: 10-12-2025]; 29(3): 372-80. Disponible en: http://revcmhabana.sld.cu/index.php/rcmh/article/view/2174
10. Belaunde-Clausell A, Lluis-Ramos G, Consuegra-Ivars G. Pressure ulcer in frail hospitalized elderly people. Archivos del Hospital Universitario "General Calixto García" [Internet]. 2021 [Acceso: 10-10-2025]; 9 (3): [aprox. 11 p.]. Disponible en: http://revcalixto.sld.cu/index.php/ahcg/article/view/794
11. Volkert D, Beck AM, Cederholm T, Cruz-Jentoft A, Goisser S, Hooper L, et al. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition and hydration in geriatrics. Clin Nutr. 2019[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 38(1):10-47. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.024
12. Welch C, Grossman M, Kanagaratnam A, Jones S, Lim Y, Lim MA, et al. New horizons in hospital-associated deconditioning: a global condition of body and mind. Age Ageing. 2024[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 53(11):afae241. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afae241
13. Kang M, Kim H, Lee J. Impact of malnutrition evaluated by the mini nutritional assessment on the prognosis of acute hospitalized older adults. Front Nutr. 2023[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 9:1046985. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1046985
14. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, Boirie Y, Bruyère O, Cederholm T, et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age Ageing. 2019[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 48(1):16-31. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169
15. Donini LM, Busetto L, Bischoff SC, Cederholm T, Ballesteros-Pomar MD, Batsis JA, et al. Definition and diagnostic criteria for sarcopenic obesity: ESPEN and EASO consensus statement. Obes Facts. 2022[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 15(3):321-335. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1159/000521241
16. Arai H, Wakabayashi H. Anemia and Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Convalescent Rehabilitation. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2024[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 25(2): 255-261. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2023.10.012
17. Gaskell H, Derry S, Andrew Moore R, McQuay HJ. Prevalence of anaemia in older persons: systematic review. BMC Geriatr. 2008[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 8:1. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-8-1
18. Wacka E, Kaczorowska A, Młynarska E, Rysz J, Franczyk B. Anemia and Its Connections to Inflammation in Older Adults. Nutrients. 2024[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 16(3):382. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16030382
19. Cangelosi G, Iovino P, De Maria M, Matarese M, Ausili D, Di Mauro S, et al. Nutritional Support in the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review of Nursing Interventions in Community Care. Geriatrics (Basel). 2025[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 10(1):17. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10010017
20. Chen B, Zhang Y, Li J, Wang Y. Nutritional Status Predicts Pressure Injury Incidence in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis. Clin Nutr. 2023[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 42(6): 881-889. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2023.03.024
21. Venegas-Sanabria LC, Martínez-Reig M, and Gómez-Cabrera MC, Viña J. Unveiling a hidden burden: exploring sarcopenia in hospitalized older patients through concordance and cluster analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2024[Acceso: 28-12-2025]; 24(1):892. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05322-5
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Abel Estévez Perera, Jorge Luis Goulet Rodríguez, Elisbeth Pérez Montes de Oca
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
