engleski

IDENTIFICATION OF NUTRITION-RELATED FACTORS IN PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND OTHER DEMENTIAS

The most common dementia globally is Alzheimer's disease (AD). This is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. People with AD have poor nutritional status which is shown to advance disease’s course. Specific dietetic approaches are used to help prevent malnutrition and alleviate progression of AD. Study subjects were recruited at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital Osijek and Home for Elderly and Disabled Persons Osijek. Interview method was used to assess and compare diet quality and identify nutrition-related factors in people with AD and other dementias (ADD, n=12 aged 73.1±12.4 years) and their healthy counterparts (HC, n=33 aged 61.1±9.9 years). Diet quality was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and was analysed by three indexes: Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and MIND (hybrid of DASH and MeDi). The results confirmed that poorer nutritional status of ADD patients is an independent risk factor (P=0.046). MeDi index was higher among ADD patients, but only higher number of meals per day and fewer meal skipping were confirmed as independent nutrition-related factors in ADD patients in comparison to HC. These findings show that despite better dietary habits, ADD patients should be monitored closely for their nutritional status.

Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, nutritional status, diet quality

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