Anorexia do envelhecimento associada ao menor comprimento do telômero de pessoas idosas residentes na comunidade

Abstract

The nutritional approach carried out within the scope of the nursing care process has a significant impact on the health of the elderly, since nursing professionals can track and monitor food intake and nutritional status. This is because aging is a complex process marked by a series of changes in the body that result in an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, including anorexia of aging. From the molecular point of view, studies suggest that structural and functional alterations of telomeres, such as shortening, are related to some phenotypes and diseases related to aging, such as anorexia. Considering that aging anorexia affects approximately a quarter of elderly people and is a major contributor to the development of malnutrition and other adverse health outcomes in these individuals, this cross-sectional study aimed to verify whether shorter telomere length is associated to anorexia of aging in elderly people. It was carried out with a sample of 448 older people living in the community of a municipality in the interior of Brazil. Blood samples were used for the relative quantification of telomere length by means of qPCR. Aging anorexia was assessed using the Simplified Appetite Nutritional Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used in data analysis. Of the 448 older people evaluated, 70.69% were female and the predominant age group was 60 to 69 years (45.08%). The shortest telomeric length was identified in 25% of the participants and the prevalence of anorexia of aging was 41.16%. Older people people with shorter telomere lengths were more likely to have aging anorexia (OR=1.92; 95%CI=1.12 – 3.29), regardless of gender, age group, depressive symptoms, pain and performance in basic health activities daily life. It was concluded that there was an association between shorter telomere length and aging anorexia. It is necessary to rethink the planning of nursing care in order to carefully assess the nutritional aspects of the elderly, with a view to implementing interventions that can improve their health condition.