Body weight in patients with Parkinson's disease
- 6 September 2006
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Movement Disorders
- Vol. 21 (11), 1824-1830
- https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.21068
Abstract
There is some evidence suggesting that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibit lower body weight when compared to age‐matched healthy subjects. Low body mass index (BMI) is correlated with low bone mineral density, both of which are major risk factors for hip fractures. Possible determinants of weight loss in PD patients include hyposmia, impaired hand–mouth coordination, difficulty chewing, dysphagia, intestinal hypomotility, depression, decreased reward processing of dopaminergic mesolimbic regions, nausea, and anorexia as the side effects of medication, and increased energy requirements due to muscular rigidity and involuntary movements. It is unclear whether PD patients in general, or only a subgroup of those affected, definitely show lower BMI in the advanced stages of the disease. We therefore recommend that the body weight of PD patients be monitored monthly as the disease progresses, and that a patient's nutrition should be supplemented with sufficient amounts of vitamin D and calcium to reduce the risk of hip fractures and strengthen bone density. Because mealtimes may coincide with unpredictable off periods associated with akinesia and impaired hand–mouth coordination, PD patients also need flexible food schedules that accommodate the associated symptoms of this disease. © 2006 Movement Disorder SocietyThis publication has 56 references indexed in Scilit:
- Factors of importance for weight loss in elderly patients with Parkinson's diseaseActa Neurologica Scandinavica, 2004
- Folate Intake and Risk of Parkinson's DiseaseAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2004
- Gender Differences in Mortality After Hip Fracture: The Role of InfectionJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2003
- Body weight, levodopa pharmacokinetics and dyskinesia in Parkinson's diseaseNeurological Sciences, 2002
- RETRACTED: Amelioration of osteoporosis by menatetrenone in elderly female Parkinson’s disease patients with vitamin D deficiencyBone, 2002
- Serum leptin concentrations and satiety in Parkinson's disease patients with and without weight lossMovement Disorders, 2001
- Interacting Appetite-Regulating Pathways in the Hypothalamic Regulation of Body WeightEndocrine Reviews, 1999
- Neuropsychological and behavioral changes and weight gain after medial pallidotomyAnnals of Neurology, 1997
- Weight Gain as a Predictor of Long Term Clozapine EfficacyClinical Drug Investigation, 1996
- Involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor in restraint stress-induced anorexia and reversion of the anorexia by somatostatin in the ratLife Sciences, 1988