A multifactorial study on nutritional status, binge eating and physical activity as main factors directly influencing body weight in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Weight loss is a multifactorial disorder commonly affecting Parkinson?s disease patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body weight, nutritional status, physical activity, and Parkinson?s disease-related factors. A total of 114 consecutive Parkinson?s disease patients without dietary restrictions were evaluated prospectively with respect to: nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment), physical activity level (Yale Physical Activity Survey), MDS-UPDRS score, olfactory function, depression, cognitive functionand impulse-control disorders, among other variables. Structural equation modeling was used to build multivariate models and to calculate standardized regression weights (srw) for pairs of variables, which are homologous to correlation coefficients, taking into account the effects of all other variables in the model. Sixty (53%) patients were males. Mean age was 66.1 ± 9.8 years and mean disease duration was 8.3 ± 5.6 years. Longer disease duration was negatively related to nutritional status (srw = −0.25; p = 0.01). UPDRS II + III score was associated with reduced cognitive function (srw = −0.39; p = 0.01), which was positivelyrelated to nutritional status (srw = 0.23; p = 0.01). Finally, nutritional status was positively related to body weight (srw = 0.22, p < 0.01). Binge eating and physical activity were also directly and positively related to body weight (srw = 0.32; p = 0.001 and srw = 0.23; p = 0.001). Nutritional status, binge eating and physical activity were directly and independently related to body weight in our sample of Parkinson?s disease patients. Therefore, physicians should actively explore nutritional status and binge eating in Parkinson?s disease patients to avoid alterations in body weight regulation. Effects of physical activity should be further explored.