ResearchCurrent ResearchHigh Prevalence of Plasma Hypertonicity among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results from NHANES III
Section snippets
Sample
Data from NHANES III were used for this analysis (25). NHANES III was a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics between 1988 and 1994. Noninstitutionalized civilian men and women, aged 2 months and older, were sampled using a stratified, multistage probability cluster design, with oversampling for Mexican Americans, African Americans, and elderly persons. The survey included a household interview, as well as a visit to a mobile
Results
Characteristics of the sample are shown in Table 1. When weighted for survey design, the sample reflects noninstitutionalized adults older than age 20 years in the United States. The majority of, but not all, survey participants fasted at least 6 hours before giving blood. Evidence of glucose dysregulation was observed in approximately one third of the full sample. Approximately half of the subsample of adults aged 40 to 70 years had impaired glucose tolerance.
Discussion
This article is the second report of a high prevalence of hypertonicity in a representative sample of community-dwelling older adults. The results are consistent with data from the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly surveys (1), indicating that as many as 50% of older adults may have elevated plasma tonicity, with approximately one in five having overt hypertonicity. Consistent with the data from Duke, higher prevalences of hypertonicity were associated with
Conclusions
The prevalence of hypertonicity may be as high as 60% among community-dwelling older adults. Despite reports suggesting no cause for concern (22, 23, 24), clinicians and researchers should be alert to plasma hypertonicity in older adults. Older adults could easily be screened for plasma hypertonicity because the variables required to estimate tonicity are widely available and inexpensive. Interventions to normalize hypertonicity might also be possible, because plasma tonicity is modifiable by
J. D. Stookey is a postdoctoral fellow, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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J. D. Stookey is a postdoctoral fellow, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA