1. Is Antioxidant and n–3 Supplementation Able to Improve Functional Status in Poststroke Patients? Results from the Nutristroke Trial
- Author
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M. Multari, F. Garbagnati, U. Scognamiglio, Stefano Paolucci, G. Cairella, A. De Martino, and Vincenzo Venturiero
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Antioxidant ,medicine.medical_treatment ,MEDLINE ,Nutritional Status ,Antioxidants ,law.invention ,Disability Evaluation ,Double-Blind Method ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ,medicine ,Humans ,Mortality ,Stroke survivor ,Stroke ,Aged ,business.industry ,Stroke Rehabilitation ,Follow up studies ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Malnutrition ,Italy ,Neurology ,Dietary Supplements ,Physical therapy ,Female ,Functional status ,Neurology (clinical) ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
Background: To test whether supplementary antioxidants and n–3 fatty acids, alone or in combination, could improve functional status in stroke survivors. Methods: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 72 stroke patients (47 males; age 65.3 ± 12.9 years) admitted to a rehabilitation hospital for sequelae of first-ever ischemic stroke, and divided them into 4 subgroups. Group 1 patients received daily oral antioxidants, group 2 received n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, group 3 both supplements, and group 4 placebo, all for 12 months. No difference at baseline was observed among groups in neurological severity or in disability. All measures were repeated after 6 and 12 months of treatment. All major clinical events were recorded. Results: At baseline, 25% of the patients had a low plasma vitamin status, and 48.5% was at risk of undernutrition. At the 1-year follow-up, we observed a trend for lower mortality (p = 0.060) in subgroups treated with n–3 fatty acids, but without significant differences in rehabilitation result status among groups. Conclusions: Malnutrition is widely observed in patients admitted to a rehabilitative hospital for stroke rehabilitation, and dietary supplementation, even if not able to improve rehabilitation results, is likely to reduce mortality at the 1-year follow-up.
- Published
- 2009