Objective: To investigated changes in daily caloric intake, body mass index (BMI), and nutritional status during the disease course of multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Background: The importance of nutritional management in neurodegenerative diseases is increasingly recognized in the clinical setting. However, few reports have examined nutrition in patients with MSA.

Methods: We performed a single-hospital study of 82 consecutive patients with probable MSA according to the consensus criteria. We determined daily caloric intake, the level of activities of daily living (ADL; independent, wheelchair-bound, or bed-ridden), and BMI at the time of admission. Nutritional status was also evaluated using biochemical nutritional markers including serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count.

Results: Although daily caloric intake decreased with ADL level deterioration (P < 0.01), no significant differences were observed in BMI among ADL levels. Serum albumin also decreased with ADL deterioration (P < 0.01), no significant differences were observed for serum total cholesterol or lymphocyte count with respect to ADL level.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that patients with advanced stage MSA may develop malnutrition in the absence of a decrease in BMI. Moreover, serum albumin level may be useful for evaluating nutritional changes in MSA patients.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/nutritional-status-and-changes-in-body-weight-in-patients-with-multiple-system-atrophy/