The Drug Burden Index Is Associated With Measures of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study.

Background: Anticholinergic and sedative medications affect cognition among older adults. The Drug Burden Index (DBI) is a validated measure of exposure to these medications, with higher DBI scores indicating higher drug burden. This ancillary analysis investigated the association between DBI and cognition assessed by the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).

Neuroprotective Potential of Brown Seaweed Phytochemicals in Rodent Models of Cerebral Ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia, a condition with insufficient blood flow in the brain, is associated with cognitive and behavioral changes. The underlying cellular mechanisms of ischemia-induced brain damage include oxidative stress and inflammation. Cerebral ischemia is a major cause of death and long-term disability; thus, investigating novel dietary sources and their therapeutic potentials have gained interest.

A Mixed Methods Exploration of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food-Related Activities and Diet Quality in People with Parkinson Disease.

Objective: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of people with Parkinson disease (PwPs) and their care-partners to perform food-related activities (FRA) and PwPs' overall diet quality.

Methods: Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, PwPs and their care-partners completed virtual dyadic semi-structured interviews about their FRA during the COVID-19 pandemic. PwPs completed Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) to quantify their dietary intake in the previous 12 months.

A Qualitative Analysis of Experiences With Food-Related Activities Among People Living With Parkinson Disease and Their Care-Partners.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors associated with the ability of people with PD to perform food-related activities (FRAs). Eleven dyads, older adults with Parkinson disease (PD) and their care-partners ( = 22), completed virtual semi-structured interviews guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) that were independently analyzed by two coders via directed content analysis. The following themes were identified-(1) Personal: perception of a healthy diet, perception of how nutrition influences PD, confidence in following a healthy diet, and barriers to performing FRA; (2) Environmental: previous sources of nutrition information and willingness to changing their diet with a registered dietitian; and (3) Behavioral: modifications to FRA due to food-medication interactions, and skills necessary to maintain a healthy diet.

100% Watermelon Juice as a Food-First Intervention to Improve Cognitive Function: Ancillary Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Lycopene exhibits neuroprotective properties due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functionality. As watermelon is a rich source of lycopene, pasteurized watermelon juice provides lycopene in its most bioavailable form. This study examined relationships between circulating lycopene, cognitive performance, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in response to pasteurized 100% watermelon juice supplementation.

Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Among Older Adults with Obesity: An Ancillary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Exercise Plus Weight Maintenance and Exercise Plus Intentional Weight Loss by Caloric Restriction.

Background: Obesity imposes risk to cardiometabolic health; however, intentional weight loss among older adults with obesity remains controversial.

Objective: To explore the influence of exercise plus weight maintenance and exercise plus intentional weight loss by caloric restriction on changes in cardiometabolic risk among older adults with obesity assessed by four risk-scoring tools.

Design: Using longitudinal data from the Calorie Restriction and Changes in Body Composition, Disease, Function, and Quality of Life in Older Adults study (CROSSROADS) (ClinicalTrials.

Daily 100% watermelon juice consumption and vascular function among postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Watermelon juice is a rich food source of cardioprotective compounds such as arginine, citrulline, and lycopene. Preventative interventions are warranted as risk of cardiovascular disease increases among women after menopause, and age alone is an independent risk factor for vascular dysfunction. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of 100% watermelon juice on measures of vascular function.

Visceral adiposity index and its association with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet scores among older adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2011-2014.

Background & Aims: The visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been shown to be a reliable estimate of visceral adiposity, but little is known about its association with specific dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, particularly in older adults. Many studies have shown the DASH diet to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between DASH diet scores and the VAI in older adults using a nationally representative dataset.

"If They Don't Like You, They Are Not Going to Eat for You": Individual and Interpersonal Factors Affecting Certified Nursing Assistants' Ability to Provide Mealtime Assistance to Residents With Dementia.

Background And Objectives: In long-term care facilities in the United States, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide mealtime assistance to residents with dementia, a task that substantially increases caregiver burden due to the time and attention required. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the individual and interpersonal barriers and facilitators CNAs experience when providing mealtime assistance to residents with dementia.

Research Design And Methods: Focus group questions were developed based on the corresponding levels of the Social Ecological Model.

Variation of Serum Lycopene in Response to 100% Watermelon Juice: An Exploratory Analysis of Genetic Variants in a Randomized Controlled Crossover Study.

Background: Watermelon, a rich source of lycopene, has garnered attention for cardioprotective effects including cholesterol reduction and promotion of redox balance. It is unknown whether 100% watermelon juice may represent a food-first approach to confer cardioprotective benefits of lycopene.

Objectives: This study examined influences of 100% watermelon juice on serum lycopene, lipids, and antioxidant capacity.

Dietary Antioxidants and Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, the movement center of the brain. Approximately 60,000 people are diagnosed with PD in the United States each year. Although the direct cause of PD can vary, accumulation of oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage due to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or impaired intracellular antioxidant defenses invariably occurs at the cellular levels.

Dietetic Students' Perceived Facilitators, Barriers and Perceptions of Working with Older Adults: Implications for Curriculum Development.

The purpose of this study was to explore dietetic students' facilitators, barriers, and perceptions of working with older adults. A purposive sampling method was used to conduct individual, face-to-face-interviews with students majoring in human nutrition ( = 17). All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using NVivo 11 software.

Nutrition Provider Isolation Is Related to Increased Preference for Enteral Nutrition-Support in Patients With Advanced Dementia.

Background: Current guidelines advise against using enteral nutrition (EN) support for patients with advanced dementia (AD) because of negative outcomes. However, research suggests that some registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) in acute-care settings still recommend EN for this patient population. The purpose of this study was to identify workplace characteristics that influence the EN recommendations of acute-care RDNs who care for patients with AD.

Dietary Supplement Use is High among Individuals with Parkinson Disease.

Objectives: To assess the present use of dietary supplements among the Parkinson disease (PD) population and to determine which dietary supplements are most commonly taken.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire that was administered to individuals with PD via support group Web sites. Dietary supplement users also were asked whether they spoke with a healthcare professional about their supplement use.

Lycopene and cognitive function.

Decreases in cognitive function related to increases in oxidative stress and inflammation occur with ageing. Acknowledging the free radical-quenching activity and anti-inflammatory action of the carotenoid lycopene, the aim of the present review was to assess if there is evidence for a protective relationship between lycopene and maintained cognitive function or between lycopene and development or progression of dementia. A systematic literature search identified five cross-sectional and five longitudinal studies examining these outcomes in relation to circulating or dietary lycopene.

Dietary Quality Assessed by the HEI-2010 and Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Disease: An Exploratory Analysis.

This study explores relationships between cardiometabolic measures of antioxidant capacity or inflammation and diet quality assessed by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 which measures conformity to Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This cross-sectional study was an ancillary analysis of baseline data for a randomized controlled trial with older adults at risk for cardiometabolic disease (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT00955903).

Watermelon Juice: a Novel Functional Food to Increase Circulating Lycopene in Older Adult Women.

Because of accruing oxidative stress with advancing age, older adults may benefit from increased dietary intake of lycopene, a lipophilic carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties. Yet, intake of dietary lycopene as well as circulating lycopene levels are known to decrease with aging. Watermelon is one of the few food sources of dietary lycopene.

Practitioner Knowledge, Personal Values, and Work Setting Influence Registered Dietitians' Feeding Tube Recommendations for Patients With Advanced Dementia.

Background: Current guidelines discourage tube-feeding older adults with advanced dementia (AD), as this practice does not improve nutrition status or survival and decreases quality of life in these patients. Because registered dietitians (RDs) often provide feeding recommendations for patients with AD, this study aimed to identify factors that influenced RDs' feeding tube recommendations for older adults with AD.

Methods: A random sample of RDs who work with older adults in the United States completed a validated, electronic survey.

Classification of obesity, cardiometabolic risk, and metabolic syndrome in adults with spinal cord injury.

To describe and compare (1) classification of obesity using clinical proxies of body composition that are easily accessible in the outpatient clinic setting, (2) cardiometabolic risk using existing screening tools and staging systems, and (3) the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) using four commonly-used definitions in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Retrospective chart review Outpatient Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI Annual Evaluation Clinic Patients who attended an annual evaluation appointment with demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data documented in their medical records as part of routine medical care. Obesity classification (body mass index, waist circumference, ideal body weight percentage), cardiometabolic risk scores (Framingham Risk Score, Cardiometabolic Disease Staging System, Edmonton Obesity Staging System), and MetS classification (using four commonly-used definitions) were described and compared.

The Attitudes Toward Tube-Feeding in Advanced Dementia (ATT-FAD) Questionnaire: A Valid and Reliable Tool.

Registered Dietitians (RDs) should participate in interdisciplinary feeding discussions for patients with advanced dementia, but research on how RDs make such feeding recommendations is scarce. This study developed and validated a theory-based questionnaire to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of RDs regarding feeding tube use among older adults with advanced dementia. The instrument was drafted based on the Social Ecological Model, and face and content validity were established through an expert panel review.

Comparison of segmental body composition estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Background & Aims: Segmental body composition may be an important indicator of health and nutritional status in conditions where variations in fat and lean mass are frequently isolated to a particular body segment (e.g. paralysis, sarcopenia).

Intention of Older Women to Consume 100% Watermelon Juice for Vascular Health: An Application of Theory of Planned Behavior.

To strengthen randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the efficacy of 100% watermelon juice on vascular function of older women, theory-driven behavioral analysis as well as comparative sensory analysis of the intervention and placebo were conducted. The Theory of Planned Behavior was adopted to assess psychosocial determinants of intention to consume watermelon juice. Sensory attributes were assessed utilizing hedonic scales.

Oral Supplementation with Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate, Arginine, and Glutamine Improves Lean Body Mass in Healthy Older Adults.

Oral intake of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), arginine, and glutamine may ameliorate muscle loss by stimulating protein synthesis and decreasing protein degradation while simultaneously decreasing inflammation. Previous studies provide evidence for improvement in body composition with dietary supplementation of these ingredients among patients with muscle-wasting diseases. The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of this amino acid mixture on lean body mass, muscle volume, and physical function among healthy older adults.

Modulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Elders: The MOXIE Study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness increase with advancing age and are early predictors of future CVD outcomes. We designed the Modulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Elders (MOXIE) study to examine the effects of 100% watermelon juice as a "food-first" intervention to reduce CVD risk among African American (AA) and European American (EA) women aged 55-69 years.

Validation of a Screening Tool to Identify Undernutrition in Ambulatory Patients With Liver Cirrhosis.

Background: The prevalence of chronic liver disease is increasing in the United States. Malnutrition is common as liver disease progresses. However, an accepted method to screen these patients for malnutrition is lacking.