TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of oral amino acid supplementation on long-term-care-acquired infections in elderly patients
AU - Aquilani, Roberto
AU - Zuccarelli, Ginetto Carlo
AU - Dioguardi, Francesco Saverio
AU - Baiardi, Paola
AU - Frustaglia, Antonio
AU - Rutili, Carla
AU - Comi, Elena
AU - Catani, Michele
AU - Iadarola, Paolo
AU - Viglio, Simona
AU - Barbieri, Annalisa
AU - D'Agostino, Luca
AU - Verri, Manuela
AU - Pasini, Evasio
AU - Boschi, Federica
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - The very high general infection rate (IRI) observed in our Geriatric Intensive Rehabilitation Center (GIRC) led us to investigate whether patient supplementation with essential amino acids (EAAs), modulators of immuno-competence, could reduce IRI. Eighty elderly patients admitted to our GIRC (n= 40; age 79.5 ± 7.71; male/female 14/26) or placebo (n= 40; age 82.13 ± 6.15; male/female 13/27) were allocated to an 8. g/day oral EAAs group and were surveyed for infections (>48. h from admission) over the first month of their hospital stay. The IRI was 67% for the entire population of patients, 82.5% (33/40 patients) in the placebo group and 52% (21/40 patients) in the EAA group (p<0.02). When patients were divided into infection group (IG) and without-infection group (WIG), independently of post randomization allocation, the WIG had higher levels of serum albumin (p<0.001), blood hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (p= 0.01), dietary protein (p= 0.008) calorie intakes (p= 0.05) but lower serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (p<0.001). The factor of CRP > 0.8. mg/dl and Hb ≤ 12 in females, ≤13 in males was associated 4 times and 3.6 times risk of infection, respectively, by sex. EAAs supplementation may lower the risk of infection by 30% in the rehabilitative elderly population. CRP and blood hemoglobin levels can be considered risk markers of future infection.
AB - The very high general infection rate (IRI) observed in our Geriatric Intensive Rehabilitation Center (GIRC) led us to investigate whether patient supplementation with essential amino acids (EAAs), modulators of immuno-competence, could reduce IRI. Eighty elderly patients admitted to our GIRC (n= 40; age 79.5 ± 7.71; male/female 14/26) or placebo (n= 40; age 82.13 ± 6.15; male/female 13/27) were allocated to an 8. g/day oral EAAs group and were surveyed for infections (>48. h from admission) over the first month of their hospital stay. The IRI was 67% for the entire population of patients, 82.5% (33/40 patients) in the placebo group and 52% (21/40 patients) in the EAA group (p<0.02). When patients were divided into infection group (IG) and without-infection group (WIG), independently of post randomization allocation, the WIG had higher levels of serum albumin (p<0.001), blood hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (p= 0.01), dietary protein (p= 0.008) calorie intakes (p= 0.05) but lower serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (p<0.001). The factor of CRP > 0.8. mg/dl and Hb ≤ 12 in females, ≤13 in males was associated 4 times and 3.6 times risk of infection, respectively, by sex. EAAs supplementation may lower the risk of infection by 30% in the rehabilitative elderly population. CRP and blood hemoglobin levels can be considered risk markers of future infection.
KW - Essential amino acids
KW - Immunocompetence
KW - Infection of elderly
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U2 - 10.1016/j.archger.2010.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.archger.2010.09.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 20934757
AN - SCOPUS:79953106636
VL - 52
JO - Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
JF - Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
SN - 0167-4943
IS - 3
ER -