Association between poor nutritional status and severe depression in Korean cerebral infarction patients.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between cerebral infarction (CI), nutritional status, and depression.


METHODS
Subjects with and without CI (n = 146; 73 CI vs. 73 non-CI) were recruited from Kyung Hee University  Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) and were matched according to age and gender. The subjects' medical histories, health-related behavioral habits, food intake, nutritional assessment, and depression status were analyzed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of hypertension or diabetes  were much higher in subjects in the CI group than in the non-CI group (P < 0.001). Subjects with CI registered lower dietary intakes of potassium, dietary fiber, fish, fruits, and vegetables than non-CI subjects (P < 0.05). By the mini-nutritional assessment  (MNA) classification, malnutrition affected 57.5% of subjects in the CI group, but none of the subjects in the non-CI group (P < 0.001). The average Beck depression inventory (BDI) score was 43.6 ± 7.7 points in the CI group and 20.6 ± 13.1  points in the non-CI group (P < 0.001). Higher MNA scores (well-nourished status) were inversely associated with CI prevalence (odds ratio (OR) = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.79) after controlling for age, gender, medical history, and health-related factors, whereas  BDI was not associated with CI prevalence (OR = 1.32; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.94).


CONCLUSIONS
CI patients had several comorbidities, inappropriate health-related behavioral habits, malnourished status, and severe depression prior to CI onset. Indices of well-nourished  status were inversely associated with CI. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop a protocol for medical nutrition therapy in CI patients to improve nutritional status.
Department of Medical Nutrition, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Republic of Korea.
Hyun Jung
HJ
Lim
Ryowon
R
Choue
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires