No abstract

Objective: To investigate and compare the associations between dietary patterns and mortality using different European indexes of overall dietary quality. Design, Setting and Participants: The HALE (Healthy Ageing: a Longitudinal study in Europe) population includes 2068 men and 1049 women, aged between 70 and 90 years of 10 European countries. Subjects were followed for 10 years. This cohort study was conducted between 1988 and 2000.

There is a strong relationship between lifestyle and dietary habits and mortality in post-MI patients. The findings implicate that substantial health gain can be obtained by better adherence to dietary and lifestyle recommendations.

No abstract

Objective. This study was undertaken to identify predictors of body weight change in nursing home patients with possible to severe dementia.Methods. For 24 weeks, 108 elderly residents of a nursing home were followed. Body weight was measured every 2 weeks. Other anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake, food behavior restrictions, psychological characteristics, medical status, and use of medicines were measured at baseline. Dietary intake was measured with a combined 3-day food record and by observations during the hot meals. Food behavior restrictions were measured following the classification of Berkhout. Dependency was measured by a questionnaire (Care Index Geriatrics), which measures restrictions in cognitive, physical, and social functioning. A generalized linear mixed effects model was used to investigate weight changes over time. The model was adjusted for age and sex.Results. During the follow-up period, 26% of the participants lost and 22% gained at least 2 kg of body weight. Dependency (b ¼ À0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] ¼ À0.21, À0.01) and decreased appetite (b ¼ À2.17, 95% CI ¼ À4.32, À0.01) were significantly associated with body weight loss, whereas body mass index (b ¼ 2.25, 95% CI ¼ 1.98, 2.51) and intake of fat (b ¼ 0.07, 95% CI ¼ 0.01, 0.15) were predictors of weight gain.Conclusion. Dependency, body mass index, intake of fat, and decreased appetite are significant predictors of body weight changes. MALNUTRITION and weight loss are often observed in institutionalized elderly persons (1-10). Consequences of weight loss, which can vary from 4% to 65%, include an increased risk of infections, number of falls, and length of hospitalization; it even increases mortality risk (8,10,11). Causes of weight loss are summarized in Morley's mnemonic Meals on Wheels (Medication, Emotional, Alcoholism, Late-life paranoia, Swallowing problems, Oral problems, Nasocomial infections, Wandering, Hyperthyroidism, Enteric problems, Eating problems, Lowsalt or low-cholesterol and other diets, Stones and shopping problems) (12) and in Robbin's nine Ds (Dentition, Dysgeusia, Dysphagia, Diarrhea, Disease, Depression, Dementia, Dysfunction, and Drugs) (13).So far, the impact of these factors on body weight changes has been shown in retrospective or comparative studies (7,8,(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Morley and Kraenzle (18) found in their retrospective study that depression is the most common cause of weight loss in nursing home residents. Gilmore and colleagues (15) found that, in nursing home residents, reduced functional ability, intake of 50% or less of food served for the past 3 consecutive days, and chewing problems were the most prevalent indicators of weight loss.However prospectively, limited knowledge exists on the combined effects of these factors on body weight in institutionalized elderly persons. Therefore, this prospective longitudinal study in nursing home residents aims to identify predictors of body weight changes. METHODS Participants and SettingThe study was conducted in a geriatric nursing...