Dietary intake of various nutrients in older patients with congestive heart failure.

Background And Aims: Anorexia, nausea and premature satiety with eating, prevalent in congestive heart failure (CHF), have been held responsible for reduced dietary intake and deficiency of magnesium, potassium and probably other nutrients. Since solid data is not available, this study was undertaken with the following aims (1) to assess dietary intake in CHF, (2) to compare dietary intake in older CHF patients with a similar patient population free of CHF (control group), and (3) to evaluate these data in patients with moderate versus severe CHF.

Methods And Results: Dietary intake of 57 consecutively hospitalized furosemide-treated CHF patients over the age of 60 was compared with that of 40 similar patients free of CHF.