Section of Preventive and Public Health Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Growth and Development, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Department of Oral Diseases Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan.
Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2018 Aug;18(8):1236-1243. doi: 10.1111/ggi.13455. Epub 2018 May 29.
Appetite loss has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Among older people, decreased appetite can result in poor nutrition and subsequent loss of independent living. We examined the factors related to appetite loss in persons with AD and MCI to provide evidence for countermeasures to prevent appetite loss and progression of cognitive impairment.
We included 1238 older adults undergoing outpatient treatment at the Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders (Medical Center for Dementia) at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Obu, Japan. The Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire, an appetite questionnaire for older people, was used to evaluate appetite. Appetite loss in persons diagnosed with AD or MCI was divided into two groups according to the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire scores, and logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify independent factors associated with appetite loss. The following variables were used to evaluate for covariates: general information, functional evaluation and medications.
The AD and MCI groups contained 853 and 385 individuals, respectively. In both groups, depression and difficulty in maintaining attention while eating were significantly associated with poor appetite. Among persons with AD, lower vitality, more comorbidities, non-use of antidementia drugs and use of psychotropic drugs were also significantly associated with poor appetite.
The present study recognized possible factors individually associated with appetite loss among persons with AD or MCI. Future studies are required to examine supportive strategies to treat poor appetite in these populations. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1236-1243.
食欲减退与阿尔茨海默病（AD）和轻度认知障碍（MCI）有关。在老年人中，食欲减退会导致营养状况不佳，进而丧失独立生活能力。我们研究了 AD 和 MCI 患者食欲减退的相关因素，以期为预防食欲减退和认知障碍进展提供对策。
我们纳入了在日本大府市国立老年病学和老年医学中心综合护理和记忆障碍研究中心接受门诊治疗的 1238 名老年人。采用老年人食欲问卷（Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire）评估食欲。根据 Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire 评分，将被诊断为 AD 或 MCI 的患者的食欲减退分为两组，并进行逻辑回归分析，以确定与食欲减退相关的独立因素。使用以下变量评估协变量：一般信息、功能评估和药物。
AD 和 MCI 组分别包含 853 名和 385 名个体。在两组中，抑郁和进食时注意力维持困难均与食欲减退显著相关。在 AD 患者中，活力较低、合并症较多、未使用抗痴呆药物和使用精神药物也与食欲减退显著相关。
本研究单独识别了 AD 或 MCI 患者食欲减退的可能相关因素。未来需要研究针对这些人群治疗食欲减退的支持性策略。
