Objectives: Observe the association of foods habits, body composition, lifestyle habits, and loss of gustatory function with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Methods: This comparative study enrolled 75 patients with AD (mean age 77.5 years) and 267 healthy volunteers (mean age 73 years). Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat, visceral fat, muscle mass, and waist circumference were measured. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by the Mediterranean-Diet-Adherence Screener. Gustatory function was investigated using a threshold and triangle test.
Results: Cases with AD presented lower BMI and weight and higher sleep hours, being statistically significant the difference between cases and controls ( P = .02; P = .001; P = .001, respectively). Patients with AD showed lower adherence to exercise and Mediterranean diet as shown by the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener-score (8.12 ± 2.5 vs 8.65 ± 2.4). The gustatory function was impaired in patients with AD when compared to controls.
Conclusion: Patients with AD show worst outcomes in terms of anthropometric measurements, lifestyle habits (diet, exercise), and gustatory function than controls.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; body composition; gustatory function; nutrition; sleep habits.