Arav Choudhary

Evaluating Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Dietary Interventions for Aging Populations

Started July 2, 2024

Abstract or project description

The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a widely used tool designed to assess the nutritional risk in elderly populations by combining serum albumin levels and body weight parameters. The referred dataset, derived from bi-annual nutritional assessments, has health indices, macromolecule counts, and micronutrient levels of participants aged 65 and above. These variables, providing a comprehensive view of the nutritional and physiological status of older adults, highlights potential deficiencies or risks that may impact overall health and quality of life. This vital metric can be an indicator of overall longevity. Correlation indices were created by classifying participants as no, low, moderate, and high risk. GNRI trends were observed within mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), C-reactive protein, and iron, enabling a potential for GNRI to be used to recommend specific diets in the senior population. Participants in the no-risk category showed the most favorable health indicators, with optimal levels of MCH, low inflammation, and adequate iron and transferrin levels. As GNRI increases, these variables progressively worsen; the high-risk group showed the poorest results, with significantly elevated inflammation and deficiencies in iron, reflecting substantial nutritional challenges. This investigation hypothesizes that using GNRI as a tool to identify nutritional risk can aid in optimizing diets and lifestyle changes to decrease nutritional risk among older adults.