A Cross-Investigation between Thiamin Deficiency and the Physical Condition of Elderly People Who Require Nursing Care

Abstract

SummaryIn recent years the occurrence of thiamin deficiency diseases has increased particularly among elderly people and there has been some speculation about whether or not any particular factors exist. In this study, we focused on elderly people requiring constant care in nursing homes and we conducted an accurate condition survey of total thiamin concentration in whole blood as a means of nutritional assessment. The total number of participants was 14 males and 60 females who were residing in a nursing home; they were aged between 65 and 105 y old. All of the subjects agreed to take part in our research. We conducted the following tests: anthropometric measurements, blood examination including total thiamin levels, and also physical functions such as in the level of nursing care required and tests of other physical conditions. The average Ϯ standard deviation of thiamin concentration was 22.4 Ϯ 8.9 ng/mL and the number of people with a deficient condition (less than 20 ng/mL) was 42, which was 56.8% of the total. From these results, the existence of thiamin deficiency is validated in more than half of the elderly people who require nursing care. On the other hand, the method of meal intake for all participants who have a thiamin deficiency was oral intake and for those who were non-deficient in thiamin, the percentage of tube feeding or nutritional supplementation intravenously was 37.5%, which was a significantly high value.

The prevalence of thiamine deficiency among elderly nursing home residents: A cross‐sectional study

“…It is known that cooking methods reduce thiamine, 26 thus it is difficult to accurately grasp the thiamine intake at each facility. It has been reported that 56.8% of nursing home residents were actually deficient in thiamine 27 . There is also a report that TD was more common in those hospitalized from institutions than in those hospitalized from home 8 .…”

“…It has been reported that 56.8% of nursing home residents were actually deficient in thiamine. 27 There is also a report that TD was more common in those hospitalized from institutions than in those hospitalized from home. 8 For this reason, it cannot be denied that there are many biases such as the content of meals provided at facilities and the resident characteristics, but the results should sound a warning bell that residents of nursing homes in various regions are at risk of TD.…”

“…However, it is conceivable that differences in the quality of nursing care provided to residents may result in differences not only in dietary intake but also in the management of general conditions. The rate of TD in nursing homes in Japan is as high as 58.8% 27 and the prevalence of TD can vary widely depending on the quality of care in an institution and the caregiving skills of each caregiver. Therefore, further study based in other nursing facilities is required to clarify these factors.…”

Thiamine Concentrations in Newly Hospitalized Elderly Patients with Infectious Diseases at a Community Hospital in Japan

“…Takeda et al evaluated the whole-blood thiamine concentration of 869 healthy Japanese volunteers by HPLC in 2002 and found mean thiamine concentrations of 36610 ng/mL for men (n5524) and 3168 ng/ mL for women (n5345), with no association regarding age (24). Ito et al observed a mean thiamine concentration of 2269 ng/mL among elderly nursing home residents (n574, age range: 65-105 y old) at an institution in 2012, and the thiamine concentration of 42 residents (57%) was ,20 ng/mL (15). In the current study, the distribution of the thiamine concentration (median: 46 ng/mL, IQR: 37-58 ng/mL) was not markedly different from that of healthy volunteers (24), and the results were similar even among elderly patients referred from nursing homes (n574, median: 42 ng/ mL, IQR: 35-59 ng/mL).…”

“…Ito et al recently found that more than half of nursing home elderly residents had a low wholeblood thiamine concentration (,20 ng/mL) as evaluated at an institution in Japan (15). A high incidence of low thiamine concentrations among hospitalized elderly patients in the Japanese population has therefore been anticipated.…”