Aim: To determine the status of nutritional intake in elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged 65 years or older, and to clarify relations of nutritional intake to age, sex and body mass index (BMI).
Design: Clinical parameters and nutritional intake were investigated and compared in 912 (417 men, 495 women) elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes registered to the Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial.
Results: The mean daily energy intake of patients was 1802 kcal in men and 1661 kcal in women, respectively. The energy intakes per kilogram of standard bodyweight in both sexes and the energy intakes per kilogram of present bodyweight in men increased significantly with age. The protein : fat : carbohydrate (PFC) energy ratio (%E) was 15.2:25.4:59.5 in men, and 15.7:25.8:58.6 in women, respectively. Grain, oil, alcohol and soft drink intakes were higher in men than in women. Potato, fruit and green vegetable intakes were higher in women than in men. Fruit intake showed a significant age-related increase in men. In women, there was an age-related significant decrease of meat intake. An increase of BMI correlated with a significant increase in bodyweight, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure. The mean energy intake of three BMI groups, lean (BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)), normal (18.5 kg/m(2) </= BMI < 25 kg/m(2) ) and obese (25 kg/m(2) </= BMI), were 1625, 1796 and 1839 kcal in men, and 1655, 1647 and 1685 kcal in women, respectively. However, BMI-related increase of energy intake did not reach statistically significant levels in both sexes. Energyintake per kilogram of present bodyweight decreased as BMI increased in both sexes. Energy intake per kilogram of standard bodyweight increased significantly as BMI increased in men only, but not in women. There were no differences in PFC energy ratios among the three BMI groups. In contrast, intake of soft drinks in men increased significantly as BMI increased. In women, intakes of alcohol and soft drink increased significantly as BMI increased.
Conclusion: An increased energy intake per kilogram of standard bodyweight correlated with increase of BMI in men, but not in women. Intakes of soft drinks in both sexes and alcohol in women correlated with increase of BMI. These results suggest there are sex differences in the pathogenesis of obesity in elderly type 2 diabetic patients from an aspect of nutritional intake.
© 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.