1. Hsin-Jen Tsai1 and Alan C Tsai2
Renal Functional Status of Elderly Taiwanese: Results from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan ( )
Hsin-Jen Tsai1 and Alan C Tsai2
1Dept. of Health Management, I-Shou Univ., Kaohsiung County 824, Taiwan
2Dept. of Environ. Health Sci., Sch of Pub Health, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract #
Renal functional status of elderly Taiwanese: results from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan ( )
Hsin-Jen Tsai1 and Alan C Tsai2
1Dept. of Health Management, I-Shou Univ., Kaohsiung County 824, Taiwan
2Dept. of Environ. Health Sci., Sch of Pub Health, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Objectives: This study aims to assess the renal functional status of elderly Taiwanese.
Methods: Data were from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan ( ) (NAHSIT-II), a national survey conducted to gain an understanding of health status of non-institutionalized elderly (> 65 y) Taiwanese. The survey employed a multi-stage, stratified, and clustered probability sampling scheme. In this report, impaired renal functional status is defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 based on Cockroft-Gault equation.
Results: Of the 2984 participants, 1568 completed both the questionnaire and clinical examination of the survey, and the results showed that 2.0, 36.4, 56.1, 5.1, and 0.5% of elderly had GFR > 90, 89-60, 59-30, 29-15, and < 15, respectively. Nearly 62% of elderly had GFR < 60. Greater proportions of women than men had GFR < 60. GFR decreased with age. Only 15% of elderly were ever diagnosed of impaired renal function and only 0.2% of elderly were under medications for improving their renal function.
Conclusion: Based on calculated GFR, the proportion of impaired renal function in elderly Taiwanese is high, approximately 62%, and the diagnosed rate of the abnormality is low, only 15%. (The authors acknowledge the Office of Nutrition Survey of Academia Sinica for providing the survey data).
Results
Of the 2028 participants, 1568 completed both the questionnaire and clinical examination of the survey.
The results showed that 2.0, 36.4, 56.1, 5.1, and 0.5% of elderly had GFR > 90, 89-60, 59-30, 29-15, and < 15, respectively.
Nearly 62% of elderly had GFR < 60.
Among men, 2.7, 40.9, 51.9, 4.2, and 0.3% of elderly had GFR > 90, 89-60, 59-30, 29-15, and < 15, respectively.
Nearly 56% of male elderly had GFR < 60.
Among women, 1.2, 31.6, 60.5, 6.0, and 0.7% of elderly had GFR > 90, 89-60, 59-30, 29-15, and < 15, respectively.
Nearly 67% of female elderly had GFR < 60.
Greater proportions of women than men had GFR < 60.
Nearly 52.9% of elderly aged had GFR < 60, while 84.3% of elderly aged had GFR < 60, and 97.7% for elderly aged >85.
GFR decreased greatly with age.
Only 3.3, 9.2 and 0% of elderly with 30 < GFR < 60, 15 < GFR < 30 or GFR < 15 was ever diagnosed of chronic kidney diseases by a physician.
Only 13% of elderly with GFR < 60 were ever diagnosed of impaired renal function.
Only 0.05% of elderly with GFR < 60 were under medications for improving their renal function.
Objectives
This study aims to assess the renal functional status of elderly Taiwanese.
Background
The society in Taiwan continues to age and the relative proportion of elderly people increases rapidly.
Health status of elderly people is closely related to their dietary pattern and nutritional status.
The Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan ( ) (NAHSIT-II) was a national survey and conducted to:
(1) assess the status of nutrition and health of persons aged 65 and over in Taiwan.
(2) investigate dietary and non-dietary factors in influencing the dietary pattern and nutritional and health status of the elderly persons.
(3) gain an understanding of knowledge, attitudes and practice related nutrition in elderly.
(4) evaluate the effect of all of knowledge, attitudes and practice related nutrition on health.
Methods
Data were from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan ( ) (NAHSIT-II), a national survey conducted to gain an understanding of health status of non-institutionalized elderly (> 65 y) Taiwanese.
The survey employed a multi-stage, stratified, and clustered probability sampling scheme.
Three hundred and fifty nine townships and villages in Taiwan were divided into 13 strata according to the degree of urbanization and the geographic characteristics. A total of 39 township and 78 villages were chosen for the survey using the probability-proportional-to-population-size method.
All Taiwanese civilian citizens 65 years or older residing in Taiwan on January 1, 1999 were eligible for this study. Those residing in military institutions, hospitals, nursing home or other institutions during the period of recruitment were excluded.
A total of 2028 persons with equal number of men and women were recruited to participate in the study.
The study included two components: an in-home in-person questionnaire interview and a physical examination. The questionnaire included questions to elicit information on demographic, dietary intake and lifestyle parameters.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) was calculated based on Cockroft-Gault equation.
GFR = (140-age)*weight*1.23*(0.85 if female)
Creatinine (mmole/L)
Impaired renal functional status is defined as GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2.
Physician-diagnosed chronic kidney diseases (CKD) was defined as ever being diagnosed chronic kidney diseases by a physician.
The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Academia Sinica and Department of Health, Taiwan. All participants signed consent forms.
Conclusion
Based on calculated GFR, the proportion of impaired renal function (GFR < 60) in elderly Taiwanese is high, approximately 62%.
Greater proportions of women than men had GFR < 60.
GFR decreased with age.
The diagnosed rate of the abnormality is low, only 13%.
Only 0.05% of elderly with GFR < 60 were under medications for improving their renal function.