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Nutritional Status and Dietary Intake in Institutionalized Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Multiinfarct Dementia
Author(s) -
Sandman PerOlof,
Adolfsson Rolf,
Nygren Charlotte,
Hallmans Goran,
Winblad Bengt
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1987.tb01316.x
Subject(s) - medicine , malnutrition , anthropometry , dementia , weight loss , body mass index , disease , pediatrics , obesity
Nutritional status, dietary intake, weight change, and mortality were studied in a sample of severely demented, institutionalized patients. Dietary intake was registered during five days in two periods, five weeks apart. A weighing method was used. Nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric measurements (weight for height index, triceps skinfold thickness, arm muscle circumference) and determination of circulating proteins (albumin, transferrin, and prealbumin). Energy and/or protein malnutrition was found in 50% of the patients. The mean dietary intake was sufficient according to energy (2059 kcallday), proteins, vitamins, and minerals. A comparison of patients with or without malnutrition showed no differences in dietary intake, diagnoses, age, length of hospital stay, or duration of illness. However, malnourished patients had had four times as many infectious periods treated by antibiotics as patients with no malnutrition. Thirty‐nine of 44 patients lost weight during their hospital stay. There was no correlation between loss of weight, length of hospital stay, or duration of illness.