Energy Requirements in Hospitalized Elderly People

OBJECTIVES: To estimate energy intake and energy expenditure (EE) in elderly hospitalized patients recovering from an acute illness. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional evaluation of the disparity between energy intake and expenditure. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety geriatric patients (mean age±standard deviation 79.7±7.5) admitted to acute care or rehabilitation units. MEASUREMENTS: Patients' energy intake and resting EE (REE) were measured over a 3‐day period. Blood samples were taken to determine C‐reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, and albumin concentrations and to check renal function. RESULTS: Energy intake was higher than REE by a factor of 1.29, but it was lower than the energy requirement. Energy intake, adjusted for differences in body weight, was independent of sex, highest in those who were malnourished (defined as a body mass index (BMI)