Empowering Health in Aging: Innovation in Undernutrition Detection and Prevention Through Comprehensive Monitoring

Abstract

Addressing the health challenges faced by the aging population, particularly undernutrition, is of paramount importance, given the significant representation of older individuals in society. Undernutrition arises from a disbalance between nutritional intake and energy expenditure, making its diagnosis crucial. Advances in technology allowed a better precision and efficiency of biomarker measurements, making it easier to detect undernutrition in the elderly. This article introduces an innovative system developed as part of the CART initiative at Toulouse University Hospital in France. This system takes a comprehensive approach to monitor health and well-being, collecting data that can provide insights, shape health outcomes, and even predict them. A key focus of this system is on identifying nutrition-related behaviors. By integrating quantitative and clinical assessments, which include biannual nutritional evaluations, as well as physical and physiological measurements like mobility and weight, this approach improves the diagnosis and prevention of undernutrition risks. It offers a more holistic perspective aligned with physiological standards. An example is given with the data collection of an elderly person followed at home for 3 months. We believe that this advance could make a significant contribution to the overall improvement of health and well-being, particularly in the elderly population.