Association between nutritional status and cognitive decline in non-institutionalized elderly patients evaluated in a geriatric outpatient setting

Raffaele Pagliuca; Stefano Cacciatore; Mario Virgilio Papa; Eugenio Boccalone; Mena Ilaria Pagliuca; Federica Virginia Papa; Antonio Gambardella

doi:10.4081/gc.2023.11021

Authors

Raffaele Pagliuca
rafpag2010@hotmail.it
Department of Geriatric Medicine, A.O.R.N. Caserta; Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
Stefano Cacciatore Department of Geriatrics and Orthopedics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, University Policlinic Foundation Agostino Gemelli, Rome, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7504-3775
Mario Virgilio Papa Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1579-2202
Eugenio Boccalone ASL, Benevento, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1113-0196
Mena Ilaria Pagliuca Department of Pharmacology University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Federica Virginia Papa Local health authority (ASL), Caserta, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4931-525X
Antonio Gambardella Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4125-0618

This study aims to assess the relationship between nutritional status and cognitive decline in a population of non-institutionalized elderly patients evaluated in a geriatric outpatient setting. Data from 144 patients admitted to the general geriatric outpatient services of Luigi Vanvitelli University Hospital (Naples, Italy) and San Felice a Cancello Hospital (San Felice a Cancello, Italy) were collected between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Cognitive function was evaluated through the mini-mental state examination and nutritional status was assessed through mini nutritional assessment. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between clinical characteristics and nutritional status, and it is reported as unadjusted, adjusted for age and sex, and adjusted for other potential confounding factors. In the unadjusted model, poor nutritional status was associated with a worse cognitive deficit (odds ratio (OR)=2.36; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.77-3.55). The association remained significant after adjusting for age and sex (OR=2.36; 95% CI=1.77-3.55) and in the fully adjusted model (OR=2.92; 95% CI=1.90-5.64). In patients with dementia, malnutrition represents a significant burden that grows heavier as the disease progresses.

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Pagliuca, R., Cacciatore, S., Papa, M. V., Boccalone, E., Pagliuca, M. I., Papa, F. V., & Gambardella, A. (2023). Association between nutritional status and cognitive decline in non-institutionalized elderly patients evaluated in a geriatric outpatient setting. Geriatric Care, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2023.11021