ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the association between nutritional and functional status of Alzheimer's disease patients and caregivers' burden. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 79 community-dwelling Alzheimer's disease patients living with their caregivers. Caregivers' burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden-Interview. Multinomial logistic regressions were carried out using caregivers' burden as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Caregivers' severe overload was strongly associated with weight loss of more than 3 kg during the previous 3 months (OR = 7.34; 95% CI: 2.02-26.65), lower values of calf girth (OR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.03-9.93), sarcopenia status (OR = 3.50; 95% CI: 1.09-11.22), and lower gait speed values (OR = 3.83; 95% CI: 1.18-12.47). Otherwise, overweight or obesity (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05-0.83), was related to lower odds of higher caregivers' burden. CONCLUSION: In community-dwelling older adults with Alzheimer's disease, the nutritional and functional status impairments were strongly associated with increasing caregivers' burden, whereas overweight conferred protection.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Caregivers , Aged , Cost of Illness , Cross-Sectional Studies , Functional Status , Humans , Overweight , Psychiatric Status Rating ScalesABSTRACT
This study aims to evaluate the impact of oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) and a psychomotor rehabilitation program on nutritional and functional status of community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A 21-day prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted and third intervention group performed a psychomotor rehabilitation program. Patients were followed up for 180 days. Mean (standard deviation) score of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) increased both in the nutritional supplementation group (NSG; n = 25), 0.4 (0.8), and in the nutritional supplementation psychomotor rehabilitation program group (NSPRG; n = 11), 1.5 (1.0), versus -0.1 (1.1) in the control group (CG; n = 43), P < .05. Further improvements at 90-day follow-up for MNA in NSG: 1.3 (1.2) and NSPRG: 1.6 (1.0) versus 0.3 (1.7) in CG ( P < .05) were observed. General linear model analysis showed that the NSG and NSPRG âµMNA score improved after intervention, at 21 days and 90 days, was independent of the MNA and Mini-Mental State Examination scores at baseline ( Ps > .05). The ONS and a psychomotor rehabilitation program have a positive impact on long-term nutritional and functional status of patients with AD.