Malnutrition and Related Factors in Filipino Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: Results From a Pilot Study

Abstract

Aim: Emerging evidence demonstrates a bidirectional relationship between nutritional status and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our aim was to determine the local prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among Filipino PD patients. Materials & methods: We assessed the nutritional status of 95 PD patients using the body mass index (BMI) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and identified malnutrition-associated factors. Results & conclusion: In our sample, the mean BMI was 24.5 ± 4.2 kg/m². Consistent with published estimates, five (5.3%) patients were classified as underweight and 57 (60%) patients were classified as overweight/obese. A total of 30 (31.6%) patients had abnormal nutritional status based on SGA. Weight-adjusted levodopa equivalent daily dose was a significant factor (p = 0.032) for BMI, while dysphagia and higher weight-adjusted levodopa equivalent daily dose were found to be predictive of abnormal nutritional status using SGA (adjusted odds ratio of 8.85 [95% CI: 1.59–49.17; p = 0.015] and 1.10 [95% CI: 1.02–1.20; p = 0.021], respectively).

Keywords:

• body mass index
• nutritional status
• Parkinson’s disease
• subjective global assessment

Author contributions

NGD Reyes, MRM Baltazar and AMF Dy Closas were involved in the acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation and writing of the initial and final draft of the manuscript for intellectual content. RDG Jamora was involved in the study conception, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content and study supervision.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Patrick F Yalung and Dr Maria Victoria G. Manuel for their assistance in this study.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was partially funded by the Research & Biotechnology Division of St. Luke’s Medical Center. RDG Jamora is on the advisory boards of Lundbeck Phils. and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Phils. He has received honoraria/CME grants from the Philippine offices of Sun and Torrent Pharma in the last 12 months. Currently, he has research grants from the Collaborative Center for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism, Philippine General Hospital, and the Philippine Neurological Association. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.