Prevention of dehydration in the elderly based on accurate measurements of water metabolism and the body water volume

本研究的目的是澄清日常生活中的水平衡的特点，开发一种简单的方法来筛选老年人的脱水倾向增加，并评估评估参数方便使用的领域。通过研究（1）使用简单方法（节段性生物电阻抗谱（SBIS））的细胞内和细胞外水分布的年龄相关变化，（2）SBIS测量的身体水分体积与皮肤干燥评估参数之间的相关性，以及（3）发生中暑的社区居住老年人的生活方式特征，达到了这些目的。结果是：（1）小腿部细胞外水（ECW）/全身水（TBW）比值随年龄增长而增加;（2）在TBW低于独立生活的老年人中，需要日常生活帮助的老年人的腕部皮肤干燥与细胞内水（ICW）和ECW体积均显著相关，提示腕部皮肤干燥是一个可用于脱水评估的参数;和（3）老年人的中暑似乎不仅与身体状况有关，而且与社会活动和认知功能有关。基于上述研究结果，我们认为有必要支持预防中暑。

The objectives of this study were to clarify the characteristics of water balance in daily living, develop a simple method for screening of elderly people for increased tendency to dehydration, and evaluate assessment parameters convenient to use in the field. These objectives were approached by studying (1) age-associated changes in the distribution of intra- and extracellular water using a simple method (segmental bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (SBIS)), (2) correlations between the body water volumes measured by SBIS and parameters for skin dryness evaluation, and (3) characteristics of lifestyle in community-dwelling elderly people who developed heat stroke. As a result: (1) The extracellular water (ECW)/total body water (TBW) ratio in the lower leg was found to increase with age; (2) both the intracellular water (ICW) and ECW volumes were significantly correlated with wrist skin dryness in elderly people in need of assistance in daily living, in whom the TBW is lower than in independent elderly people, suggesting that wrist skin dryness is a parameter useful for dehydration assessment; and (3) heat stroke in elderly people appeared to be intricately related to not only the physical condition but also social activities and cognitive functions. Support for the prevention of heat stroke based on the above findings is considered necessary.