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Health Academy Kastamonu 4 2020
Ya?l?larda Koah Ve Beslenme Yakla??mlar?DOI: 10.25279/sak.417312, PP. 78-90 Keywords: COPD, Nutrition for Elderly Abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of morbidity and disability. As a result of physiological changes in the respiratory system such as decrease in strength of respiratory muscles and anatomical changes in lung parenchyma, air flow and gas exchange efficiency are reduced. Elderly patients with COPD usually have negative energy balance and negative protein balance. In these patients priority should be given to prevention of this situation by regulating the nutritional status before advanced weight loss and cachexia occurs. Rather than using nutritional support products, planning an appropriate diet for COPD patients has great importance. It is suggested that patients with COPD should take carbohydrate limited to 40-55% of daily energy since it may cause respiratory distress, 20% of daily energy from dietary proteins in malnutrition and 30-45% of daily energy from dietary fats. It has also been shown that vitamin D levels are low in COPD elderly. Vitamin D at normal level is reported to be beneficial because of its positive effects both on immune system and on treatment of cachexia and sarcopenia. COPD patients with low body weight or involuntary loss of weight are reported to have higher mortality. In elderly patients with COPD, anthropometric measurements have been shown to be inadequate in the evaluation of lean tissue mass, and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) analysis has been reported to provide better results. It has also been reported that evaluation of lean body mass index (FFMI) instead of body mass index (BMI) in elderly COPD patients is a better indicator. COPD is a progressive disease; however, with appropriate treatment progression of the disease can be slowed down. Nutritional therapy is an important component of multidisciplinary treatment approach in COPD.
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