title: [Longitudinal analysis of nutrition parameters in a cohort of elderly people with and without dementia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is important to assess longitudinal nutritional parameters during the ageing process in order to determine body composition changes. This procedure is more relevant when dealing with institutionalised geriatric patients suffering from cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to assess the interactions, if any, between mental status and several nutritional parameters in a cohort of elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal prospective two years follow-up evaluation was performed on 301 elderly residents (233 females and 68 males) in a nursing home, of whom 51 of them fulfilled the clinical criteria for dementia. Both anthropometric and biochemical parameters were obtained annually, according to standard procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dementia group had lower values when compared to the non-dementia group. Furthermore, nutritional values remained constant in the group with cognitive impairment (no significant differences were observed throughout the study period). BMI 24.5±4.9 vs 24.2±4.1; tricipital skinfold 15.0±6.0 vs 14.7±6.9; brachial circumference 25.9±3.3 vs 25.7±3.5, and albumin 3.7±0.3 vs 3.7±0.3. At the end of the study, the group without cognitive impairment showed lower values in all the parameters analysed when compared to the baseline ones, except for bicipital fold and plasma triglycerides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that there are no variations in the elderly with cognitive impairment, as regards the nutritional, anthropometric and biochemist parameters analysed. On the contrary, the group with normal cognitive status showed a reduction in most of the parameters. Further studies analysing larger populations of elderly people and over longer periods of time will provide more information to improve our knowledge on this important issue.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Servicio Cántabro de Salud, Santander, España; Biogerontología, Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España. Electronic address: cfdezviadero@ono.com.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-Viadero
authors.affiliation: Centro de Atención a la Dependencia de Santander. ICASS, Consejería de Sanidad, Cantabria, Santander, España.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peña Sarabia
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, España.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Sanz
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, España.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ordóñez-González
authors.affiliation: Áreas de Psicobiología y Educación para la Salud, UNED, Cantabria, Santander, España.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verduga Vélez
authors.affiliation: Biogerontología, Departamento de Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España.
authors.forename: Dámaso
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crespo Santiago
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Ancianos; Demencia; Dementia; Elderly; Nursing homes; Nutritional parameters; Parámetros nutricionales; Residencias