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Chapter 1 Nutrition in Older Adults: An Overview
BOX 1.3 Medications Associated with Weight Loss and Failure to Thrive (21) ● metronidazole
Drugs that may cause anorexia: ●
anticonvulsants
● digoxin ●
estrogens
● H2 blockers ● hypnotics ● narcotics ● NSAIDs
● proton pump inhibitors ● psychotropics ● SSRIs
● thyroid replacements
Drugs with adverse behavioral reactions: ●
●
anticonvulsants anticholinergics
● hypnotics ● narcotics
● psychotropics
Drugs that may alter taste: ●
● ●
ACE inhibitors allopurinol
antihistamines
● beta 2 agonists clarithromycin coumadin
● ●
● digoxin ●
● ● ●
eszopiclone famotidine furosemide lithium
● nizatidine ● omeprazole ● phenytoin sertraline
●
Drugs associated with dysphagia: ●
● ● ● ●
ACE inhibitors antibiotics
antihistamines antivirals
ascorbic acid
● bisphosphonates ● diuretics ● KCl
● narcotics ● nitrates ● NSAIDs
● psychotropics theophylline
●
Drugs with adverse gastrointestinal reactions (excluding acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
dysphagia): ●
● ● ●
amiodarone antibiotics
chemotherapy
● digoxin ●
●
ferrous sulfate laxatives
● NSAIDs ● quinidine
Source: Goldberg R. Physicians’ attentiveness to medication use as etiology of weight loss. Long-Term Care Interface. 2005;20. Copyright ©2005 Medicomint.
Nonetheless, specific amounts of these vitamin supple- ments may play a significant part in aiding some at high risk for developing wet AMD in maintaining vision or slowing the disease advancement.
Taste and Smell Taste and smell are essential components of food enjoy- ment. People whose senses of smell and taste are dimin- ished often experience fewer food cravings and have less involvement with food, often questioning why they should eat at all. Changes in taste perception and olfactory impairment vary widely with age (30). The data support that age-related olfactory dysfunction is more common than taste dysfunction. In people with Alzheimer’s
disease, alterations in the sense of smell are even greater, possibly due to a reduction in olfactory tracts and their myelination (31). Part of the changes in olfaction with age are attributed to damage to the nasal epithelium accumu- lated over the life span, leading to a loss of olfactory receptors. It can also be attributable to chemosensory loss, chronic disease, and medication use. Cigarette smoking, stroke, epilepsy, nasal congestion, and upper respiratory infection may also contribute to a diminished sense of smell. In the end, it is difficult to separate olfactory losses of aging from those caused by disease and environmental factors (30).
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