People with chronic processes may have higher micronutritional needs due to several factors that can coexist:

Age: With age, micronutrient absorption and bioavailability decline at the physiological level, because both the stomach and the gut no longer work at peak efficiency.

Autonomy: A person’s dependence on others to carry out daily activities can influence their nutritional and hydration status, reducing food and fluid.

Oral health: Tooth loss negatively affects digestion and causes people to prefer soft foods (milk, yogurt, muffins, etc) and liquids over solid foods (vegetables, meat, fruit, etc.).

Socioeconomic status: Economic limitations can restrict access to certain foods, resulting in monotonous, micronutrient-poor diets.

Polymedication: A polymedicated patient is understood to be a person who, having one or more medical conditions, has been consuming five or more medications daily on a continuous basis for at least three months in any form (oral, inhaled, parenteral, etc.), whether prescribed by a healthcare professional or acquired over the counter at a pharmacy. Polymedication increases the risk of interactions between drugs and nutrients, affecting both equally.

Simultaneous existence of other chronic processes or health problems: This can exacerbate nutritional alterations and micronutritional deficiencies.

For all these reasons, persons who are polymedicated and have a chronic pathology need to be very careful with their diet and lifestyle.