Nutrition

Leader: Marjolein Visser Gulistan Bahat

Aims

To create a platform for discussions on issues relevant to nutrition in geriatric care and to nutrition in healthy aging in general.

To initiate collaboratively studies to support evidence-based nutritional treatment of older adults.

Relevance for the purposes of the EuGMS

Nutrition has been established as one of the key modifiable determinants of healthy aging. Optimal nutritional support is a crucial component of good geriatric care.

Members

N° of members: 90

Expected method of work

Group meetings, expert discussions, and conduct of collaborative research projects

First expected outcome and approximate date of completion

The group is currently involved in a collaborative project aiming to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for nutritional intervention studies to treat protein-energy malnutrition in older adults. A COS is an agreed minimum set of outcomes that should be measured and reported in all clinical trials. Inclusion of this COS in future intervention studies will allow better comparison of treatment effects across studies, and will facilitate the conduct of meta-analyses and IPD analyses in the future. This will importantly increase our knowledge and understanding about optimal treatment of protein-energy malnutrition in older adults across settings.

In the first phase, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify commonly used outcomes in three setting (community, hospital, and long-term care). Results have been published in European Geriatric Medicine (see below).

A paper describing the full protocol of the different phases of our COS project has been submitted for publication.

Currently, a web-based survey (in English) using a modified Delphi approach is being performed among researchers actively involved in nutritional intervention studies in older adults with malnutrition and those at risk, and among health care professionals experienced in treating older adults with malnutrition or those at risk. If you meet any of these criteria and would like to participate, please send an email to m.visser(at)vu.nl . The survey results will be discussed in a final consensus meeting, in order to establish what outcomes should be included in the COS.

Future collaborative projects will involve determining how the COS outcomes should be assessed and dissemination and implementation of the results.

Publications

Visser M, Mendonça N, Avgerinou C, Cederholm T, Cruz Jentoft AJ, Goisser S, Eva Kiesswetter E, Siebentritt HM, Volkert D, Torbahn G. Towards developing a Core Outcome Set for malnutrition intervention studies in older adults: a systematic scoping review to identify frequently used outcomes. Eur Geriatr Med. 2022 Mar 12. doi: 10.1007/s41999-022-00617-5.

Way of communication among members

Per mail, video conferencing and in person SIG meetings

Planning of meetings

Yearly at the EuGMS congresses and in between the congresses, if special tasks have to be fulfilled.

Next meeting: 19th EuGMS International Congress, Helsinki September 20-22 - SIG Collateral Meeting - OPEN - SEPT 20th from 09.30am to 10.30am Helsinki TIME

18th EuGMS International Congress, London September 28-30 - SIG Collateral Meeting - OPEN - SEPT 29th from 07.00am to 08.00am UK TIME

EuGMS congress 2022, London. Duringh this congress, results of the COS project will be presented on September 29th, 14:30-16:00 H.