Nutritional and cardiovascular risk in older adults

Background: Malnutrition is highly prevalent, often underrecognized in older adults, and may coexist with cardiovascular risk (CR).Traditional anthropometric indicators may not adequately capture this relationship.Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nutritional risk and to analyze its coexistence with CR in outpatient older adults.Method: A cross-sectional and retrospective study was conducted in outpatient older adults.Nutritional status was assessed using the full Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA).CR was evaluated using anthropometric methods.Statistical analyses included Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation.results: From 96 clinical records collected, 49% (n = 47) were at nutritional risk and 5.2% (n = 5) were malnourished by MNA.Body weight and body mass index were significantly lower in the groups of nutritional risk (p < 0.05).Calf circumference < 31 cm was frequent in the nutritional risk group (30.2% vs. 9.3%).CR was present in both groups (p > 0.05).conclusion: Nutritional risk is common among outpatient older adults and may coexist with CR independently of traditional anthropometric assessment.