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Certain diseases and malnutrition are known to co-occur in residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF). We assessed which diseases and health-related problems are associated with malnutrition at admission or with incident malnutrition during stays and how different definitions of malnutrition affect these associations. Data of Dutch LTCF residents were obtained from the InterRAI-LTCF instrument (2005-2020). We analyzed the association of diseases (diabetes, cancer, pressure ulcers, neurological, musculoskeletal, psychiatric, cardiac, infectious and pulmonary diseases) and health-related problems (aspiration, fever, peripheral edema, aphasia, pain, supervised/assisted eating, balance, psychiatric, GI tract, sleep, dental and locomotion problems) with malnutrition (recent weight loss (WL), low age-specific BMI (BMI), and ESPEN 2015 definition (ESPEN)) at admission (n = 3713), as well as with incident malnutrition during stay (n = 3836, median follow-up ~1 year). Malnutrition prevalence at admission ranged from 8.8% (WL) to 27.4% (BMI); incident malnutrition during stay ranged from 8.9% (ESPEN) to 13.8% (WL). At admission, most diseases (except cardiometabolic diseases) and health-related problems were associated with higher prevalence of malnutrition based on either criterion, but strongest with WL. This was also seen in the prospective analysis, but relationships were less strong compared to the cross-sectional analysis. A considerable number of diseases and health-related problems are associated with an increased prevalence of malnutrition at admission and incident malnutrition during stays in LTCFs. At admission, low BMI is a good indicator of malnutrition; during stays, we advise use of WL.

Introduction: This study aims to provide insight into the prevalence of health problems and the frequency of general practitioner (GP) contacts in cohabiting partners of persons with dementia, during the year prior to the dementia diagnosis and up to 3 years after the diagnosis. Methods: Partners of persons with dementia and a matched control group of partners of persons without dementia were identified in the routinely recorded electronic health records of 451 Dutch general practices in 2008–2015. These data were used to examine the prevalence of the partners’ health problems. Differences between these partners and comparison partners in the prevalence of 16 groups of health problems (diagnostic chapters) and in the frequency of GP contacts were examined using generalized estimating equation models. Results: 1,711 partners of persons with dementia and 6,201 comparison partners were included in the analyses. Social problems, more specifically problems related to the illness and/or the loss of the partner, were significantly more prevalent in partners than in comparison partners across the years (p < 0.01), as were musculoskeletal problems (p < 0.01). Respiratory and psychological problems increased over time in partners and remained stable in comparison partners. Across the years, partners contacted their GP more often than comparison partners (p < 0.01). Discussion/Conclusion: Having a cohabiting partner with dementia has consequences for caregiver’s physical and psychosocial health. The specific health problems found in this study and the increase in GP contacts might be relevant indicators of overburdening in partners of persons with dementia.

Background: Psychotropic drugs are frequently prescribed to people with dementia in nursing homes although severe adverse events and side effects are common. Less is known about the prevalence and types of psychotropic drug prescription in primary care for people with dementia. Objective: This study examined the prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions in primary care among persons with dementia from the year of diagnosis onwards. Methods: A longitudinal observational study using electronic health record (EHR) data was conducted. People with dementia were selected from EHR data of 451 general practices in the Netherlands. Age and gender-adjusted psychotropic drug prescription rates were calculated per 1000 person-years from the year the dementia diagnosis was first recorded in general practice up to 8 years after diagnosis. Results: Data of 15,687 patients were analyzed. The prescription rate of psychotropic drugs (not including antidementia drugs) was 420 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 409; 431) in the first year after the recorded dementia diagnosis, which increased to 801 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 649; 989) in the eighth year. The most frequently prescribed drugs were antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antidementia drugs, followed by anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antiepileptics. Conclusions: After a dementia diagnosis is recorded in general practice, the prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions is substantial and increases steadily during the disease trajectory of persons with dementia. Although the (in)appropriateness of prescribing was not assessed, these insights may stimulate primary care clinicians to (re)consider their prescription policy of psychotropics for people with dementia more carefully.