Associations between nutritional status and cognitive impairment in older adults: results from the NHANES 2011–2014 cycles

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a recognized instrument for assessing nutritional status. Since poor nutrition is known to increase the risk of cognitive problems, this study by Zhang X. et al. (2025) aimed to investigate the relationship between the CONUT scores and cognitive impairment in older individuals. Cognitive impairment was assessed using three separate cognitive testing methods. Based on CONUT scores, participants were categorized into two groups: those with normal nutrition (scores 0–1) and those with malnutrition (scores 2–12). Participants had an average age of 69.19 years, with cognitive impairment observed in about 53.6% (1,478 individuals). Cognitive impairment was much more common in the malnourished group. After adjusting for confounding factors, higher CONUT scores were associated with increased odds of cognitive impairment, and being in the malnutrition group also increased the risk. An increased risk of cognitive impairment in older persons is associated with higher CONUT scores, which indicate worse nutritional status. This suggests that the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score may be a useful screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of cognitive decline. [NPID: Controlling Nutritional Status, cognitive, older adults, NHANES, cross-sectional study]

Year: 2025

Reference: Zhang, X., Yang, L., Wang, Z., Wang, H., Nie, S., Zhao, C., Kang, S., Zhang, C., & Pan, C. (2025). Associations between nutritional status and cognitive impairment in older adults: results from the NHANES 2011–2014 cycles. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1571990

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