The Impact of Diet Type on Weight Loss in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

To compare differences in weight loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease on normal, diabetic, or texture-modified diets.

This prospective interventional study examined the data of patients with Alzheimer's disease who were admitted to a long-term care hospital in Japan from February to April 2013. Dietary elements and weight loss over a 3-month period were examined. Results: Of the 75 patients examined, 6 were on a normal diet, 10 were on a diabetic diet, and 59 were on a texture-modified diet. Weight loss was significantly associated with body weight, Mini Nutritional Assessment®, and diet type. In the non-malnourished patients, there was a significant difference between the three types of diets in terms of eating rate and weight loss.

Diet type was independently associated with weight loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Research using larger sample sizes is necessary to eliminate the differences between these diet types.