This course is included in the NUTRITION 2026 On Demand Collection.

This course will address how clinicians navigate competing nutrition goals in older adults, where dietary decisions intended to improve one outcome may unintentionally worsen another. The session will center on clinically relevant changes in body composition and function, including loss of muscle mass, strength, physical function, bone mass, and fat mass, while recognizing that some fat mass may be protective in late life.

Speakers will discuss three common dilemmas – (1) when and how to pursue weight loss while preserving muscle and bone, (2) cardiometabolic risk reduction versus loss of physical function and frailty, and (3) calorie restriction for longevity versus undernutrition. Across these topics, the course will emphasize practical decision making, clear discussion of competing priorities, and reassessment over time, highlighting approaches clinicians use to prioritize outcomes, minimize harm, and adapt nutrition recommendations as older adults’ health status and functional needs change.

Originally presented at NUTRITION 2026, ASN's flagship meeting which was held July 25-28 in National Harbor, MD

Speakers

William Evans, PhD
Adjunct Professor of Human Nutrition
University of California, Berkeley

Samaneh Farsijani, PhD, RD
Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh

Nia Mitchell, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine

Amanda Vest, MBBS, MPH, FHFSA, FAHA, FACC
Section Head, Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Heart Failure and Transplantation Cardiology
Cleveland Clinic