Alzheimer's disease: nutritional status and cognitive aspects associated with disease severity.

Abstract

Alzheimer's pathology is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive impairment and functional disability that causesprogressive restrictions in daily activities. The present study associates nutritional status with cognitive and clinical aspects of the elderly withmild, moderate and severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). data from the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), bioelectrical impedance (BIA), anthropometric measurements, and physical activityindicators were associated with clinical and cognitive aspects of 43 elderly patients with AD. The data were compared to a paired control group(NC) (n = 51) at a significance level of p < 0.05. elderly patients with AD presented lower cognitive performance, higher risk of malnutrition (p = 0.001), lower weight (t-test, p = 0.017)and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.006), and higher sedentarity (Chi-square, p = 0.040) when compared with the NC. The elderly with AD presentedsignificant reduction in lean body mass (LM) and increased fat mass (FM). As dementia progresses, significant impairment of nutritionalindicators is observed. Elderly patients with severe AD present lower weight, BMI, MNA scores and increased body fat mass index and fat masswhen compared with those with mild/moderate AD. A correlation was observed between better cognitive performance and weight, BMI, calfcircumference and triceps skinfold thickness. elderly patients with AD present high sedentarity, risk of malnutrition, lower weight, BMI and LM, and increased FM. There wasprogressive impairment of nutritional status and cognition as the disease progressed. There is an association between the nutritional variablesand cognitive aspects.