Nutritional assessment in patients with Parkinson's disease: The nutri-park study

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found a link between nutritional status and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to assess both nutritional status and dietary habits of PD patients with respect to controls and to compare disease progression in relation to dietary habits, such as protein distribution diet (PRD) adherence. METHODS: We collected anthropometric measurements, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score, dietary habits, micro- and macronutrients intakes, body composition by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), muscle strength and gait speed of 66 PD patients and 58 controls (40 healthy controls and 18 subjects with essential tremor). Clinical scales and progression indexes were recorded in PD group. RESULTS: No significant differences emerged between PD and controls in anthropometric and BIA measurements; a comparable dietary intake between the two groups was recorded. Sarcopenia and dynapenia were comparable between the two groups. PD resulted more at risk of malnutrition than controls to MNA, only three patients and one control were malnourished. A notable inverse correlation was observed between MNA and PD Questionnaire 8. PD following a PRD showed a slower progression index. CONCLUSION: Nutritional status of PD patients is not so different from elderly controls. PRD is recommended for patients with PD.