* Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Gerontology, Alzheimer Center, 170 chemin de Casselardit, 31300 Toulouse. ** INSERM U558, laboratoire d'épidémiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Toulouse, 37 allées Jules Guesdes, 31073 Toulouse Cedex, France. Correspondence: Dr Sandrine Andrieu, unité INSERM 558, laboratoire d'épidémiologie, Faculté de Médecine, 37 allées Jules Guesdes, 31073 Toulouse Cedex, France, tel (33) 5 61 14 59 32 , fax (33) 5 62 26 42 40, email : sandrieu@cict.fr

Abstract: Amongst factors associated with the institutional placement of elderly people with dementia, there has been little study of those related to malnutrition. We followed a cohort of 318 individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Patients, who were all living at home at the start of the study were recruited from the outpatient service of a hospital unit specializing in AD. After one year, 20% of the patients had moved into institutional care. Multivariate analysis showed that a Mini nutritional Assessment score (MNA) of less than 25.5 (median score of the sample) and overeating behavioral problems (p=0.006) were risk factors for institutional placement. Nutritional problems are reversible and patients with a low MNA score could benefit from a thorough geriatric assessment, in order to slow or prevent institutional placement.

Key words: Nutrition, elderly, aging