Estado nutricional e condições de saúde da população idosa brasileira: revisão da literatura

O estado nutricional tem implicacoes significativas em relacao ao processo de envelhecimento e importante relacao com a morbimortalidade de idosos. Este trabalho objetiva realizar revisao da literatura sobre as condicoes de saude e o estado nutricional da populacao idosa brasileira. As bases de dados pesquisadas foram PubMed, LILACS e Scielo. Observa-se elevada prevalencia de doencas cronicas entre idosos brasileiros, sendo as cardiovasculares responsaveis pelas principais causas de mortalidade. As doencas tambem se associam a incapacidade funcional, dependencia e perda de autonomia. Observa-se ainda tendencia ao estado nutricional dos idosos brasileiros apresentarem aumento de sobrepeso e obesidade e reducao do baixo peso. Essas alteracoes, associadas ao envelhecimento e aos habitos de vida, podem levar a doenþas cronicas e a incapacidade anatomofuncional. Sao escassos os estudos nacionais que investigam as associacoes entre condicoes de saude e nutricao de idosos. Nutritional state has significant implications on the ageing process and important relationship with morbi-mortality among elderly people. Building on PubMed, LILACs and Sciolo databanks, this paper provides a review of the literature on the nutritional state and health conditions of the Brazilian elderly population. Literature reports high prevalence of chronic disease among this population, and cardiovascular diseases are reported to be the main causes of mortality. The diseases are also reported to be associated to functional incapacity, dependence, and loss of autonomy. Brazilian elderly people are also reported to have a tendency to increased overweight and obesity, or else reduced weight. Such alterations, when associated with ageing and life styles, can lead to chronic diseases and anatomo-functional incapacity. Few students were found that investigated the associations between the elderly people?s nutrition and health conditions.