Weight Loss in the Elderly May Be a Sign of Impending Dementia

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Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own

opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic.

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Weight Loss in the Elderly May Be a Sign of Impending Dementia

Arch Neurol. 2005;62:20-22.

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first

150 words of the full text and any section headings.

It is a frequently made observation that patients with Alzheimer disease

(AD) tend to be thinner than healthy elderly individuals. When and why

patients with AD lose weight have long been intriguing questions with

elusive answers. The processes leading to weight loss are likely

complex, differing to some extent among patients, by disease stage, and

by degree of nutritional support. Weight loss in AD has negative

prognostic implications, being associated with greater disease severity,

a faster clinical progression rate, and increased mortality. In

contrast, modest weight gain is associated with a slower progression

rate and reduced mortality.1

For some patients with dementia, it is becoming increasingly clear when

weight loss starts to occur. The article by et al2 in this issue

of Archives of Neurology provides evidence that men who develop dementia

(both AD and vascular dementia) tend to start losing weight at least

several years prior . . . [Full Text of this Article]

http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/62/1/20?etoc

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ne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar@... >

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/