Nutritional status, survival and mortality in Alzheimer patients - a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Dementia is a common health problem in elderly people, Introduction Alzheimer disease (AD) being the most prevalent. AD can be considered as a cause of death and must be registered on the death certificate of the patients. However, most of the time, the main cause of death registered is not related to AD, but as an underlying or contributing cause. For example, individuals who have AD and die from myocardium infarction. This study aimed to analyze if nutritional status was associated with survival and mortality for AD, and if AD was reported as actual cause of death on the death certificate : The study was carried out as a cross-sectional study with elderly Methods citizens of the community registered in the National Health System (SUS), with cognitive, nutritional, biochemical and hematological evaluations of 30 AD patients in Guarapuava, Paraná state, Brazil. : Significant differences were not observed between live and dead Results patients when evaluated considering the methods applied. Only 22% of the death certificates stated death due to AD. The patient's cause of death showed a strong relation to respiratory issues; potential explanations based on immunological, biochemical and comorbidity were not confirmed on this study.: AD was not declared as the cause of death in the majority of Conclusions certificates, contributing to the underreporting and reducing the information of death due to AD in the country.

Nutritional and Functional Indicators and Their Association With Mortality Among Older Adults With Alzheimer’s Disease

“…44 However, the main cause of death registered in patients with AD is often not related to the disease, but as an underlying or contributing cause. 46 The impact of nutritional and functional status on health and quality of life of older adults is well known, 47 , 48 and the present study reinforces this evidence showing nutritional and functional parameters as potential indicators of higher risk of mortality, with clinical relevance in older AD patients.…”

“…44 However, the main cause of death registered in patients with AD is often not related to the disease, but as an underlying or contributing cause. 46 The impact of nutritional and functional status on health and quality of life of older adults is well known, 47,48 and the present study reinforces this evidence showing nutritional and functional parameters as potential indicators of higher risk of mortality, with clinical relevance in older AD patients. Although undernutrition may not be frequent in AD elderly living in the community, 8 several cases of risk of undernutrition evaluated by MNA were identified in community-dwelling patients with AD, ranging from 14% to 80% according to the literature study.…”