Table 3.
Baseline Characteristics of Study Participants (n=32)
| Characteristic | Intervention (n=16) | Control (n=16) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean ± SD | 80.0 ± 7.6 | 78.3 ± 5.8 |
| Female, n (%) | 11 (69) | 9 (56) |
| Weight, kg, mean ± SD | 72.5 ± 18.5 | 86.8 ± 29.2 |
| Height, cm, mean ± SD | 166.6 ± 8.6 | 168.0 ± 10.8 |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean ± SD | 26.1 ± 6.2 | 30.5 ± 8.1 |
| Charlson index, mean ± SD | 4.4 ±1.6 | 4.4 ± 1.4 |
| Comorbidities of significance, n (%) | ||
| Type 2 diabetes | 6 (38) | 2 (13) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 2 (13) | 4 (25) |
| Heart diseasesa | 9 (56) | 10 (63) |
| Pulmonary diseasesb | 2 (13) | 5 (31) |
| Cancer survivorc | 6 (38) | 5 (31) |
| Medications, mean ± SD | 7.5 ± 3.7 | 8.9 ± 4.7 |
| On vitamin D supplements, n (%) | 8 (50) | 6 (43) |
| Education level tertiary and above, n (%) | 8 (50) | 7 (44) |
| Very low income (<$20,000), n (%) | 4 (25) | 4 (25) |
| Living status alone, n (%) | 8 (50) | 6 (43) |
| Alcohol, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (6) |
| Smokers, n (%) | 6 (38) | 4 (25) |
| Admission diagnosis, n (%) | ||
| Infection or sepsis | 5 (31) | 7 (44) |
| Exacerbation of COPD | 2 (13) | 3 (19) |
| Heart failure | 3 (19) | 1 (6) |
| Functional decline or fall | 1 (6) | 2 (6) |
| Postural hypotension | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Headache | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 0 | 1 (6) |
| Multiple myeloma | 1 (6) | 0 (6) |
| Anemia | 1 (6) | 0 (6) |
| Social admission | 1 (6) | 0 |
| Fraild participants, n (%) | ||
| Pre-frail | 3 (19) | 9 (56) |
| Mild frail | 6 (38) | 3 (19) |
| Moderately frail | 6 (38) | 3 (19) |
| Severely frail | 1 (6) | 1 (6) |
| PG-SGA grade, n (%) | ||
| Well-nourished | 5 (31) | 11 (69) |
| Malnourished | 11 (69) | 5 (31) |
Notes: Data expressed as mean ± SD for continuous variables; absolute numbers (percentage) for categorical variables. aHeart diseases in cohort: ischemic heart disease; congestive heart failure; aortic valve stenosis; chronic cardiomyopathy; coronary heart disease; atrial fibrillation.bPulmonary diseases in cohort: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; pulmonary fibrosis. cCancer history types in cohort: lung; breast; skin; colorectal; stomach; prostate. dFrailty status classified by the Edmonton Frail Scale.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; PG-SGA, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment.