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a r t i c l e i n f o s u m m a r y
Article history: Background and aims: Studies have shown that malnutrition increases the risk of morbidity, mortality,
Received 30 November 2015 the length of hospital stay, and costs in the elderly population. Approximately one third of all patients
Accepted 9 June 2016 admitted to geriatric wards in Denmark are malnourished according to the Danish Geriatric database.
The aim of this study is to describe and examine the sudden increase in deaths due to malnutrition in the
Keywords: elderly population in Denmark from 1999 and, similarly, the sudden decline in malnutrition related
Malnutrition
deaths in 2007.
Underweight
Method: A descriptive epidemiologic study was performed. All Danes listed in the national death registry
Elderly
Death statistics
who died from malnutrition in the period from 1994 to 2012 are included.
Denmark Results: The number of deaths from malnutrition increased significantly during the period from 1999 to
2007, especially in the age group 70 years and over. Additionally, we document a surprising similarity
between the development in excess mortality from malnutrition in the five Danish regions during the
same period.
Conclusions: During the period 1999e2007 malnutrition was the direct cause of 340 extra deaths, and
probably ten times more registered under other diseases. This development in excess mortality runs
parallel in all five Danish regions over time.
© 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
reserved.
1. Introduction The Danish hospital nutrition was heavily criticized and reforms
were proposed during the period 1999e2010 [5e10]. Likewise
International studies have shown that malnutrition in the Danish nursing homes were criticized for their nutritional standard
elderly population increases the risk of morbidity, mortality, the [11].
length of hospital stay, and costs [1]. According to the Danish Malnutrition not only leads to deaths in its own right, but
geriatric database [2], approximately one third of all patients studies have shown that malnutrition also increases the risk of all-
admitted to the medical departments of geriatrics in Denmark are cause mortality in the elderly [12e18]. Studies have also shown that
malnourished. Malnutrition is a common complication among underweight increases the risk of among others post stroke mor-
elderly patients, as calorie intake, for different reasons, such as tality and Alzheimer's disease.
diseases, medical side effects, depression, and poor dental status, Experience from the Dutch famine indicates that malnutrition
increases with age. However, poor access to good, healthy food also also has an impact on, among others schizophrenia, cold, and heart
plays a critical role [3,4]. attack [19e21].
Every year, malnutrition leads to several deaths, according to the The death rate directly connected to malnutrition may therefore
Danish death statistics. heavily underestimate the total number of deaths with malnutri-
The number of patients who are diagnosed with malnutrition tion as the main factor.
may only be the tip of the iceberg, as malnutrition has not until 1999 seems to be a remarkable year in the nutritional situation
recently been in focus among health professionals [5,6]. in Denmark. In all five regions (at that time organized in counties),
the death rate from malnutrition increased rapidly. Until January 1,
2007 Denmark had 13 counties (Danish: Amter). The relevant factor
* Corresponding author. for this study is that the counties had the responsibility for the
E-mail addresses: majasparre@gmail.com (M. Sparre-Sørensen), kristensengn@ hospitals. With the structural reform of January 1, 2007 the
gmail.com (G.N. Kristensen).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
2405-4577/© 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
2 M. Sparre-Sørensen, G.N. Kristensen / Clinical Nutrition ESPEN xxx (2016) 1e6
counties were replaced by 5 regions. From then the regions became Death rate from malnutrition. Women - Zealand.
responsible for the daily running of the public hospitals in 70
2002
Denmark.
60
The five regions are: Capital, Zealand, Southern Denmark, Cen-
tral Denmark (Midt-jutland), and North Denmark (North-jutland).1 50
By the same reforms the number of municipal units was reduced
2007
from 270 to 98. The factor of interest for this study is that the 40
municipalities had (and have) the responsibility for elderly care.
The malnutrition period coincides with the Danish govern- 30
however, it is included here only from the age of 55; see Table A1 in
Fig. 3. Southern Denmark: The malnutrition period lasted from January 1999 to
the appendix. January 2008.
40
Death rate from malnutrition. Women - Capital.
100 30
2004
20
80 2007
10 1999
60
0
1999 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Year
40 2008 Fig. 4. Central Denmark (Mid-jutland): The malnutrition period lasted from January
1999 to January 2006.
20
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
M. Sparre-Sørensen, G.N. Kristensen / Clinical Nutrition ESPEN xxx (2016) 1e6 3
Death rate from malnutrition. Women - North Denmark (North-jutland). Death rate from malnutrition, 1994-2012. Men. All Denmark.
60 80
1999
50 70
60
40
50
1999 2007
30
40
2007
20 30
20
10
1994
10 2012
0
0
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Year 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Year
Fig. 5. North Denmark (North-jutland): The malnutrition period goes from January Fig. 7. The malnutrition period for men hits rather precisely the years 1999e2007.
1999 to January 2010.
In the Capital region, the malnutrition period starts in 1999 and Number of deaths from malnutrition. Women - All Denmark.
peaks in 2004. 60
25
10
Death rate from malnutrition, 1994-2012. Women. All Denmark.
70
5 1994 2012
60
0
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Year
50
1999 2007 Fig. 9. Around 13 men more than expected died per year from malnutrition during the
40
malnutrition period.
30
20 4.3. Death rate from malnutrition per 100 000 (Dmal). Figs. 6 and 7
1994 2012
10 The effect of malnutrition on the death rate as well as on the
number of deaths can be calculated by rather simple models.
0 D1 is 1 for the malnutrition period and 0 otherwise.
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Year
D2 is one for the period after the malnutrition period, and
Fig. 6. The malnutrition period for all Danish women, 1999e2007. 0 otherwise.
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
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Table 2
Calculated number of deaths directly or from other diseases due to malnutrition.
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
M. Sparre-Sørensen, G.N. Kristensen / Clinical Nutrition ESPEN xxx (2016) 1e6 5
Table 1A
Number of death from malnutrition related to age, 1994e2012.
Men Women
55e59 1 6 1 0 3 0
60e64 1 3 0 0 4 2
65e69 1 5 1 1 7 0
70e74 1 19 2 1 16 1
75e79 0 16 1 5 20 6
80e84 4 27 5 6 40 9
85þ 8 67 7 8 178 20
Total 16 143 17 21 268 38
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001
6 M. Sparre-Sørensen, G.N. Kristensen / Clinical Nutrition ESPEN xxx (2016) 1e6
[21] de Rooij SR. Blunted cardiovascular and cortisol reactivity to acute psycho- [25] Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN. Alzheimer's disease in the Danish
logical stress: a summary of results from the Dutch famine birth cohort study. malnutrition period 1999e2007. J Alzheimer's Dis 2015;48(4):979e85.
Int J Psychophysiol 2013;90:21e7. [26] Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN. Schizophrenia-related deaths during the
[22] Statens Institut for Folkesundhed. Folkesundhedsraporten, Danmark. 2007. Danish malnutrition period 1999e2007. Int J Health Res Innov 2016;4(No. 1):
[23] The State Serum Institute. (Statens Serum Institut, 2014). Database. http:// 71e86.
eSundhed.dk/sundhedsregistre/DAR01/Sider/Tabel.aspx. [27] Sundhedsstyrelsen. Vejledning til læger sygeplejersker, social- og sundhed-
[24] Kristensen GN, Sparre-Sørensen M. Death from stroke during the Danish sassistenter, sygehjælpere og kliniske diætister. Screening og behandling af
malnutrition period 1999e2007. J Stat Econ Methods 2015;4(2):127e54. patienter i ernæringsmæssig risiko, ISBN 978-87-7676-691-7.
Please cite this article in press as: Sparre-Sørensen M, Kristensen GN, Malnutrition related deaths, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2016), http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.001