Dementia is a neurological disease mainly characterized by clinically significant cognitive deficit which includes memory. Behavioral changes may occur and lead to an autonomy loss and a decreased capacity to perform daily professional and social activities. Disease-related undernutrition leads to an increased number of clinical complications as with a negative outcome in the physical and psychological status. Hospitalization can worsen the status. the Full Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)® is the golden standard for nutritional status evaluation and it is validated for Alzheimer Disease (AD).

Undernutrition in AD patients has been also related to significant weakness, depression, increased susceptibility to other illness.

Evaluate the Nutritional Status of the hospitalized elderly dementia patients in the Geriatric Ward - Hospital de Magalhães Lemos and it‘s relation with calf circumference.

Cross-sectional study made between February to May of 2011. Full MNA® was applied. Furthermore, the patients were subjected to weight, height, calf circumference and mid-arm circumference measurements and the body mass index was calculated.

22 patients were evaluated of which 31.8% were male and 68.2% female.Mean age was 74.9 (8.2) years.Full MNA® revealed that 45.5% of the elderly dementia people were at risk of malnutrition, 4.5% did not show nutritional risk and 50% was malnourished.The calf circumference equal or superior to 31 cm showed to be more representative with 54.5%, while inferior to 31 cm showed 45.5%.

This study revealed the major importance of assessing the nutritional status and the need to use the calf circumference as a parameter for that evaluation.