Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status of iron of the elderly residing in the Jeonju area. The anthropometric parameters, nutrient intake and biochemical status of iron, were measured for 60 Korean elderly(23 elderly men and 37 elderly women aged 60 - 79 years old). The level of hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrint(Hct), serum iron(Fe), total iron binding capacity(TIBC) and serum ferritin(Ferritin) were measured and transferrin saturation(TFsaturation) was calculated. Mean values of Hb, Hct, Fe, TIBC, TFsaturation and Ferritin were 14.49+/-0.93g/dl, 42.47+/-2.59%, 125.48+/-52,.46 microgram/dl, 338.13+/-45.92 microgram/dl, 193.00+/-125.03 microgram/l in elderly men and 12.82+/-0.99 microgram/dl, 37.66+/-2.90%, 100.08+/-42.82 microgram/dl, 356.41+/-54.65 microgram/dl, and 99.35+/-117.22 microgram/l in elderly women, respectively. Prevalence of iron deficiency varied greatly with biochemical indices of iron. It was 13.0% when judged by Fe(60 microgram/dl) and TFsaturation(15%) whereas 34.78% by Hct(41%) in elderly men. However 13.5% of the elderly women showed iron depletion(Ferritin<20 microgram/l) and 43.2% showed suppressed erythropoiesis with iron deficiency(TIBC>360 microgram/dl). The anemic subjects assessed with TFsaturation(<15%) represented 13.5% of the elderly women, whereas 18.9% of the subjects possessed less than 12g/dl of Hb. The Hb concentration was positively correlated with Hct(r=0.980, p<0.001), Fe(r=0.384, p<0.01) and TFsaturation(r=0.349, p<0.01). On the other hand, Ferritin concentration showed a significantly negative correlation with TIBC(r=0.349, p<0.05) and a positive correlation with TFsaturation(r=0.362, p<0.01). Major food groups of iron intake in the elderly were vegetables, cereals, and fish. The mean daily intake of iron was not significantly different between elderly men and women(12.82mg vs 10.35mg). Intake of heme iron however, was significantly higher(p<0.01) in elderly men(1.03mg) than women(0.42mg). Total absorbable iron caculated by the method of Monsen was 0.55mg, 0.40mg in elderly men and women, respectively and bioavailability of dietary iron 4.29% and 3.87%.

• Keywords: iron status; serum ferrin; dietary iron intake; iron availability; elderly people