Protein and energy supplementation in elderly people at risk from malnutrition

Abstract

Background This review was carried out because evidence for the effectiveness of nutritional supplements containing protein and energy which are often prescribed for elderly people is limited. Furthermore malnutrition is more common in this age group and deterioration of nutritional status can occur during a stay in hospital. It is important to establish whether supplementing the diet with protein and energy is an effective way of improving outcomes for older people at risk from malnutrition. Objectives This review examines the evidence from trials for improvement in nutritional status and clinical outcomes when extra protein and energy food were provided, usually in the form of commercial 'sip-feeds'. Search strategy We searched The Cochrane Library (issue 1, 2001), MEDLINE (1966 to February 2001), EMBASE (1980 to March 2001), Health star (1975 to March 2001), CINAHL (1982 to Jan 2001), BIOSIS (1985 to March 2001) and CAB abstracts (1973 to March 2001). We also hand searched nutrition journals and reference lists and contacted 'sip-feed' manufacturers. Date of most recent search: March 2001. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials of oral protein and energy supplementation in older people with the exception of groups recovering from cancer treatment or in critical care. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers independently assessed trials prior to inclusion and independently extracted data and assessed trial quality; any diff…