Nutritional Status of Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Abstract

Early identification of cognitive failure and its association with nutritional status might aid in the planning of prevention strategies. An attempt was made to identify the incidence of cognitive failure in adults and its association with nutritional status. 120 participants (20–60 years) were screened for cognitive ability using mini-mental state examination (MMSE) tool. Nutritional status of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was assessed through body composition and dietary nutrient consumption (3-day dietary recall method and FFQ). Results showed that a total of 31 individuals (26%) were found to have MCI. More females (n = 19) showed MCI than males (n = 12). The mean BMI of participants with MCI was significantly higher than the reference values whereas the mean WHR and visceral fat were significantly lower, thus indicating the prevalence of general obesity that increased with age. The mean macro- and micronutrient intake (except iron intake) was significantly lower than RDA among all the participants with the older adults having lower intake (p < 0.05). The mean iron intake was satisfactory among males but significantly lower than RDA among females, with the older females having very low intake (16.02 ± 3.07 mgs in 20–40 years (p ≤ 0.00) and 13.75 ± 4.20 in the older age group (p ≤ 0.01)). All the participants had low consumption of ω-3 rich and antioxidant rich foods (< 5 foods/day). Thus incidence of MCI among the participants coupled with general obesity and poor nutrient intake indicated a need for more in-depth studies for a better understanding of the link between nutritional status and MCI.