ABSTRACT
The elderly in the United States population has increased in both proportion and absolute number. A poor nutritional status may contribute to or exacerbate chronic and acute diseases, delay recovery from illness, or accelerate the development of degenerative diseases associated with aging. Thus, an important health aspect in the elderly is their nutritional status. Nutritional assessment should provide a characterization of the body compartments in a static or functional sense so as to determine the need or non-need for nutritional repletion or modification. In addition to biochemical, dietary, and clinical information, anthropometric measurements can be helpful in the diagnosis of malnutrition. Vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folacin, vitamin B12, biotin and pantothenic acid. Minerals are iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium and other trace elements are iodine, sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.
