Doença de Parkinson em idosos: ingestão alimentar e estado nutricional

Sarcopenia and dynapenia is correlated to worse quality of life perception in middle-aged and older adults with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

There are few studies that assess the relationship between nutritional status and quality of life in individuals with Parkinson's disease, despite the well-established negative impact of sarcopenia and dynapenia on functional capacity and quality of life. These conditions impair protein-muscular status and are prevalent in individuals with Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nutritional status, including body composition, functional capacity, and diagnosis of sarcopenia and dynapenia, and quality-of-life perception in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in two Parkinson's disease centers in the northeast of Brazil. The researchers assessed muscle strength, muscle mass, and physical performance to diagnose dynapenia, sarcopenia and functional capacity. Quality of life was estimated using the Parkinson's disease Quality of Life Questionnaire.

RESULTS

We found positive correlations between quality of life and variables such as severity and duration of the disease, as well as positive screening for sarcopenia (p<0.001). Negative correlations were observed between quality of life and muscle strength and functional capacity. The study also found that individuals with sarcopenia and dynapenia had significantly worse quality-of-life scores compared to those who did not have these nutritional outcomes (p <0.05; p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of sarcopenia, dynapenia, low gait speed, disease duration, and severity had an impact on higher scores in the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire, indicating a worsening perception of quality of life.

Nutritional status and food consumption of patients with Parkinson disease

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects food intake as the disease progresses. The assessment of nutritional status is essential to identify early nutritional deficits.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the nutritional status and food intake of patients diagnosed with PD.

METHODS

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study. A structured questionnaire with restricted questions was applied to identify the sociodemographic profile and anthropometric measurements were taken. To evaluate the disease stage, the modified Hoehn & Yahr scale was used. Food intake was evaluated using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The acquired information was organized in the Microsoft Office Excel 2010 program and statistical analysis was performed using the BioEstat 5.3 program.

RESULTS

The research was carried out with 40 patients; the majority was male (60%), over 60 years old (52.5%), single (55%), with a high school degree (42.5%), retirees (80%), and receiving one minimum salary (42.5%). Most were classified with eutrophic (42.5%) and overweight (42.5%). About food consumption, the most common foods were banana (60%), fish (52.5%), acerola (45%), and orange (32%). Among the high-risk foods, red meat (82.5%), fried foods (30%), heavy cream (25%), and filled sandwich cookies (25%) were the most common.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients had a high consumption of red meat and processed foods, with relevant consumption of some fruits and low consumption of grains and oilseeds. The disease stage was not associated with nutritional status.