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Elderly Health

Underweight among older adults (ages 75 years or older)

Individuals who were underweight (numerator), among Individuals aged 75 years or older with documented BMI components (denominator)

Rational:

Monitoring body weight in older adults has an important role in primary care, facilitating morbidity and mortality prevention. Physiologic changes occurring with older age, chronic diseases, use of multiple drugs, dementia, depression, and oral diseases may all lead to weight loss and underweight in the elderly. Even mild underweight (21 Kg/m2?BMI ?22.9 Kg/m2) is known to be associated with excess mortality, compared with those with normal-range BMI (23 Kg/m2?BMI?24.9 Kg/m2). Involuntary weight loss may signal frailty requiring medical attention. Both underweight and involuntary weight loss are often underdiagnosed [1].

Numerator:

Individuals in the denominator who were underweight (BMI<23 Kg/m2)

Denominator

Individuals aged 75 years or older with documented BMI components

Notes:

None

Notes:

[1] Winter JE, MacInnis RJ, Wattanapenpaiboon N, Nowson CA. BMI and all-cause mortality in older adults: a metaanalysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 99(4): 875-90.

Results:
Underweight among older adults by year
Underweight among older adults by year
Underweight among older adults by socio-economic position (1-lowest, 4-highest) and sex
Underweight among older adults by socio-economic position (1-lowest, 4-highest) and sex
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