Elderly at time of COronaVIrus disease 2019 (COVID-19): possible role of immunosenescence and malnutrition

Abstract The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly and unpredictably evolving and the majority of deaths are occurring in older people. A partial description of the magnitude of the scenario is provided by numbers and statistics, which probably underestimate the ongoing tragedy. In the present opinion paper, we have focused our attention on the evidence of the relationship among malnutrition, immunosenescence, and the higher morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. In particular, we propose the intriguing hypothesis that correction of nutritional deficits may attenuate the age-dependent alterations of the innate and adaptive immune system which participate in the increased susceptibility and worse outcome observed in the elderly COVID-19 patients..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:42

Enthalten in:

Age - 42(2020), 4 vom: 23. Juni, Seite 1089-1092

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Bencivenga, Leonardo [VerfasserIn]
Rengo, Giuseppe [VerfasserIn]
Varricchi, Gilda [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [lizenzpflichtig]

BKL:

44.68

Themen:

COVID-19
Elderly
Immunosenescence
Malnutrition
Pandemic

doi:

10.1007/s11357-020-00218-9

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

SPR040525295