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Nutritional interventions in community-dwelling Alzheimer patients with (risk of) undernutrition: a systematic review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2014

Erika Droogsma ,
Dieneke van Asselt ,
Jolanda van Steijn ,
Nic Veeger ,
Ingeborg van Dusseldorp  and
Peter Paul De Deyn
Erika Droogsma*
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Dieneke van Asselt
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Jolanda van Steijn
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Nic Veeger
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Ingeborg van Dusseldorp
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Peter Paul De Deyn
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Research Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, ZNA and Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Erika Droogsma, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Medical Center Leeuwarden, PO Box 888, 8901 BR Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. Phone: +31-582863512; Fax: +31-582866837. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Background:

Weight loss and undernutrition are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and associated with negative health outcomes. In the current guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of AD, no recommendations for treatment of (risk of) undernutrition in community-dwelling AD patients are given.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review on the effect of nutritional interventions in community-dwelling AD patients with (risk of) undernutrition, according to the methods outlined by the Cochrane Collaboration. Three electronic databases and three trial registers were searched from inception till April 2013.

Results:

Literature search in the electronic databases yielded 546 records of which one was relevant for this review. This study, with a high risk of bias, demonstrated that oral nutritional supplements improved nutritional outcomes without effect on clinical and biochemical outcomes. The search in the trial registers yielded 369 records of which two were relevant. One trial was terminated because of failing inclusion, the other is ongoing.

Conclusions:

This systematic review on the effect of nutritional interventions in community-dwelling AD patients with (risk of) undernutrition, reveals a serious lack of evidence. Therefore, it is not possible to state what the best approach is.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s diseasecommunity-dwellingundernutritionnutritional interventionsystematic review
Type
Review Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , September 2014 , pp. 1445 - 1453
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

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