Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2012 May 24:13:66.
doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-13-66.

Nutritional treatment of aged individuals with Alzheimer disease living at home with their spouses: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Satu K Jyvakorpi  1 , Taija Puranen, Kaisu H Pitkala, Merja H Suominen
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Nutritional treatment of aged individuals with Alzheimer disease living at home with their spouses: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Satu K Jyvakorpi et al. Trials. .

Abstract

Background: Nutritional status often deteriorates in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Less is known about whether nutritional care reverses malnutrition and its harmful consequences in AD. The aim of this study is to examine whether individualized nutritional care has an effect on weight, nutrition, health, physical functioning, and quality of life in older individuals with AD and their spouses living at home.

Methods: AD patients and their spouses (aged > 65 years) living at home (n = 202, 102 AD patients) were recruited using central AD registers in Finland. The couples were randomized into intervention and control groups. A trained nutritionist visited intervention couples 4-8 times at their homes and the couples received tailored nutritional care. When necessary, the couples were given protein and nutrient-enriched complementary drinks. All intervention couples were advised to take vitamin D 20 μg/day. The intervention lasted for one year. The couples of the control group received a written guide on nutrition of older people. Participants in the intervention group were assessed every three months. The primary outcome measure is weight change. Secondary measures are the intake of energy, protein, and other nutrients, nutritional status, cognition, caregiver's burden, depression, health related quality of life and grip strength.

Discussion: This study provides data on whether tailored nutritional care is beneficial to home-dwelling AD patients and their spouses.

Trial registration: ACTRN 12611000018910.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Shatenstein B, Kergoat MJ, Reid I, Chicoine ME. Dietary intervention in older adults with early-stage Alzheimer dementia: early lessons learned. J Nutr Health Aging. 2008;12:461–469. doi: 10.1007/BF02982707. Review. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Seth R. Weight loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1994;9:605–620. doi: 10.1002/gps.930090803. - DOI
    1. Cronin-Stubbs D, Beckett LA, Scherr PA, Field TS, Chown MJ, Pilgrim DM, Bennett DA, Evans DA. Weight loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease: a prospective population based analysis. BMJ. 1997;314:178–179. doi: 10.1136/bmj.314.7075.178. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gillette-Guyonnet S, Nourhashemi F, Andrieu S, de Glisezinski I, Ousset PJ, Riviere D, Albarede JL, Vellas B. Weight loss in Alzheimer disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(Suppl):637–642. - PubMed
    1. White H, Pieper C, Schmader K. The association of weight change in Alzheimer’s disease with severity of disease and mortality: a longitudinal analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998;46:1232–1234. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms