title: Dopaminergic agents and nutritional status in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition has been found in up to 24% of patients with Parkinson's disease; dopaminergic drugs might impair nutritional status. We evaluated the association of nutritional status with the use of dopaminergic agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 75 elderly patients with Parkinson's disease attending a geriatric day hospital. Nutritional status was assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Dopaminergic drugs were normalized for weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In linear regression, total levodopa (l-dopa) equivalent daily dose (LEDD) was associated with worse MNA (B = -0.14, 95% CI = -0.26--0.02; P = 0.019). This association remained significant only for l-dopa (B = -0.19, 95% CI = -0.32--0.52; P = 0.007), but not dopaminergic agent dosages. Increasing l-dopa dosages were associated with increasing probability of risk of malnutrition (P for trend = 0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our population, LEDD was associated with worse nutritional status and risk of malnutrition; this association was limited to use of l-dopa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laudisio
authors.forename: Davide L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Vetrano
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bentivoglio
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuccalà
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D007980:Levodopa
keywords: Parkinson's disease; dopaminergic drugs; epidemiology; levodopa; nutritional status