Nutritional assessment using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in the scalp hair of geriatric patients who received enteral and parenteral nutrition formulas

The δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of patients who received enteral nutrition may be effective indicators for evaluating the long-term nutritional status of geriatric patients. A calorie intake of 20 kcal/kg/day may be a cut-off value for malnutrition in Japanese geriatric patients receiving enteral nutrition. However, caution is necessary when dealing with patients switching from parental nutrition as parenteral nutrition resulted in different changes in δ13C and δ15N. The enrichment levels of δ13C and δ15N from the enteral nutrients to the hair may be inversely correlated with the δ13C and δ15N values of enteral nutrients and vary according to the calorie intake.