PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D M Flint

Publications and source records attributed to D M Flint.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Assessment of loss of height in elderly women.

Loss of height with advancing years in women most commonly reflects the development of osteoporosis of the vertebral column. Moreover, height measurement from young adult life is often not available for making this judgement about a particular woman. Unless affected by fracture or Paget's disease of bone, alteration in hip length with age is unlikely. We have therefore examined the relationship between height and hip length in young adult Caucasian Australian women and used this to predict earlier 'maximal height' from hip length in elderly Caucasian Australian women. The equation used was maximal height = a + b hip length (r = 0.65, n = 36, P less than 0.0001) where values for a and b were taken from the sample of young women, (a = 1.096, b = 1.185) and applied to the older women. The difference between 'maximal height' and 'observed height' then provided an estimate of 'loss of height'. For a representative sample of ambulant institutionalized elderly women aged 85 +/- 6.47 years, (mean +/- s.d.) range 70-98 years, the loss of height was 0.15 +/- 0.07 m (mean +/- s.d.), range 0-0.27 m. For such groups of women there should be value in knowing maximal height and loss of height at least in so far as assessment of lean body mass, adiposity (as BMI or weight (kg)/height(m)2) and osteoporosis are concerned.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Nutrient intakes of dependent and apparently independent nursing home patients.

The nutrient intake of 20 independent and 18 dependent elderly persons is assessed in nursing home long-stay wards of a Melbourne geriatric teaching hospital. An assessment of the specific nutrient densities of the diet and comparison with recommended nutrient densities indicates that, not only is nutrient intake compromised because of low intakes of food energy, but also the quality of the diet is unsatisfactory. In institutional studies, those aged persons receiving supervision at meal times consume a more adequate diet than those able to feed themselves.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1981

Nutritional Assessment.

An abundant food supply has brought with it problems of overnutrition in Australia, but has not precluded problems of undernutrition and, indeed, overnutrition and undernutrition may coexist. "Dysnutrition" accounts for, or is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in Australia. Nutritional assessment, therefore, is as important as other components of patient assessment. The approaches to nutritional assessment include: (i) identification of the individual at risk; (ii) eliciting relevant symptoms and signs; (iii) ascertaining to patients' food and nutrition knowledge and beliefs; (iv) establishing recent and remote food intake patterns: (v) anthropometry; and (vi) various laboratory investigations. The early recognition of excessive adiposity is likely to be a valuable contribution to preventive medicine. In hospital practice, the early recognition of protein energy malnutrition is likely to reduce the duration of hospital stay and morbidity and mortality rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Acute effects of alcohol on plasma ascorbic acid in healthy subjects.

The acute effects of ethanol on plasma ascorbic acid were assessed in healthy subjects. After the ingestion of 2.0 g ascorbic acid and breakfast, plasma ascorbic acid rose from a fasting concentration of 7.5 +/- 0.8 ng/ml at 0900 h. to a peak of 26.9 +/- m 2.0 ng/ml at 1500 h. When 35 g ethanol was ingested with ascorbic acid and breakfast, plasma ascorbic acid concentrations were significantly lower for at least 24 h.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Zinc and protein status in the elderly.

Protein and zinc status were assessed in 24 community based and 66 institutionalised elderly Australians, aged 60 to 99 years. Serum albumin concentrations were significantly related to both protein intake (r = 0.36, P less than 0.001) and zinc intake (r = 0.33, P less than 0.001). Plasma zinc concentrations were not related to zinc intake (r = 0.12, P greater than 0.05) or to protein intake (r = 0.007, P greater than 0.05). Thus in aged persons with low serum albumin, it would appear useful to consider both protein and zinc intake.

Aged↗