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Nutritional status is associated with disease progression in very mild Alzheimer disease

Pierre-Jean Ousset1, Fati Nourhashemi, Emma Reynish

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Alzheimer Disease Center, CHU Purpan-Casselardit, Toulouse, France. ousset.pj@chu-toulouse.fr

Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|March 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Poor nutrition and lower cognitive scores predict Alzheimer disease (AD) progression in patients with very mild AD. Early nutritional assessment can help identify at-risk individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Geriatrics
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Alzheimer disease (AD) diagnosis often occurs at later stages.
  • Identifying early predictors of progression in very mild AD is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify baseline factors associated with disease progression in patients with very mild Alzheimer disease (AD).
  • To determine if nutritional status and cognitive performance predict progression in early-stage AD.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter cohort study followed 160 patients with very mild AD (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] 0.5) for 1 year.
  • Progression was defined as a CDR score >=1 at 1-year follow-up.
  • Baseline nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment) and cognitive performance (Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale) were compared between stable and progressed groups.

Main Results:

  • 47.5% of patients progressed to CDR >=1 within 1 year.
  • Lower nutritional status (OR 0.80) and lower cognitive performance (OR 1.22) at baseline were significant predictors of progression.
  • These findings highlight the importance of early assessment of these factors.

Conclusions:

  • Nutritional status and cognitive performance are key predictors of progression in very mild AD.
  • Integrating nutritional assessment into routine clinical evaluations can aid in identifying patients at high risk for AD progression.
  • Early detection facilitates timely therapeutic strategies for better patient outcomes.

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