Olfactory function, eating ability, and visceral obesity associated with MMSE three years after Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether risk factors for poor nutrition are associated with global cognitive function three years after confirmed Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis. DESIGN: The follow-up investigations for this prospective community-based study were conducted three years after PD diagnosis. SETTING: The study participants lived in Västerbotten County, a region in northern Sweden with 142,000 inhabitants. PARTICIPANTS: This study population consisted of 118 PD outpatients from the study of Newly Diagnosed PD in Umeå (NYPUM). MEASUREMENTS: Global cognition was assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and at follow-up. Anthropometry, nutrition (Mini Nutritional Assessment, MNA, 3-day food registration, 3-FDR), olfactory function (Brief Smell Identification Test, B-SIT), and swallowing, cutting food, and salivation (single questions from the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, UPDRS) were used as markers for nutritional status. RESULTS: The MMSE score decreased over three years (–1.06±3.38, p=0.001). Olfactory function at baseline was associated to MMSE at three years (B=0.365, p=0.004). Changes in waist/hip ratio (B=113.29, p=0.017), swallowing (B=1.18, P=0.033), and cutting food (B=-1.80, p=0.000) were associated with MMSE at follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that olfactory function, cutting food, swallowing, and visceral obesity are associated with MMSE three years after PD diagnosis.