Relationship Between Nutritional Factors and Hip Bone Density in Individuals with Chronic Stroke

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and hip bone health in community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke. The usual dietary intake of 94 individuals with chronic stroke (30 women, mean age: 59.0 years) was assessed by a 3-day food record within a single week. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) at both hips. The results showed that low hip bone mass was found in 59 and 50 of the participants on the affected and unaffected side, respectively. The mean hip BMD was also significantly lower on the affected side than the unaffected side (P < 0.001). The intake of total fat, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, fiber, folic acid, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and K was significantly lower than the respective recommended daily intake values (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses revealed that after adjusting for the effects of age, sex, body mass index, post-stroke duration, side of paresis, motor impairment, physical activity level, walking endurance, total calories intake, and total number of medications, intake of protein, fiber, and magnesium remained significantly associated with hip T score on the affected side, accounting for 4.2, 4.4, and 3.2% of the variance, respectively. On the other hand, intake of protein and fiber was independently associated with hip T score on the unaffected side, explaining 2.7 and 5.2% of the variance, respectively. The results highlighted the potential relevance of diet modification in maintaining bone health post stroke, which would require further study.