Dietary Intake in Older Patients with Dementia Prior to and After the Onset of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Figures & data

Table 1. Baseline patient characteristics.

	N = 29
Female sex	16 (55.2)
Age (years)	84 (78–87)
Clinical frailty score	6 (5–7)
MMSE-J	13 (7–16)
FOIS	6 (5–7)
Dementia type
Alzheimer’s disease	16 (55.2)
Vascular dementia	5 (17.2)
Lewy body disease	5 (17.2)
Other causes	3 (10.3)
Current medical history
Diabetes mellitus	4 (13.8)
Chronic kidney disease	2 (6.9)
Cardiovascular disease	4 (13.8)
Hypertension	13 (44.8)
Bronchial asthma	1 (3.4)
COPD	0
Interstitial pneumonia	3 (10.3)
Stroke	4 (13.8)
Malignant tumor	2 (6.9)
Steroid/immunosuppressant users	0
Tube-feeding users	0
Peripheral infusion/central venous catheter users	0

Values are presented as median (interquartile range) or number (%).

MMSE-J: Japanese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination, FOIS: Functional Oral Intake Scale, COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Some patients had several types of dementia and could not be classified.

Table 2. Effects of coronavirus disease 2019.

	N = 29
Fever (temperature ≥37.3 °C)	29 (100)
Upper respiratory symptom	14 (48.3)
Dyspnea	10 (34.4)
Delirium	19 (65.5)
Falls	3 (10.3)
FOIS scorea	6 (5–7)
Deaths	4 (13.8)
Severe disease	11 (37.9)
Mild disease	18 (62.1)
Days taken for disease to become severe	8 (6–12)
Steroid users	11 (37.9)
Day of starting steroids	10 (6–10)
Heparin users	3 (10.3)
Day of starting heparin	18 (14–20)
Peripheral IV users	11 (37.9)
Central venous catheter users	1 (3.4)
Gastric fistula/NG tube users	0

Values are presented as median (interquartile range) or number (%).

^aFOIS was assessed only in survivors. (n = 25).

IV: intravenous, NG: nasogastric, FOIS: Functional Oral Intake Scale.

Figure 1. Dietary intake before and after the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Blue line, all survivors; pink line, patients with mild disease; grey line, patients with severe disease.

Data Availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.