# The relationship between nutritional status and sleep quality in Parkinson’s disease: a single tertiary center study

## TL;DR

This study finds that many Parkinson’s disease patients face malnutrition and poor sleep, with certain nutritional factors linked to sleep quality.

## Contribution

The study identifies total protein as a novel nutritional biomarker associated with sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease patients.

## Key findings

- Malnutrition and sleep disturbances are common in Parkinson’s disease patients.
- Total protein levels are significantly associated with sleep quality in Parkinson’s disease.
- Higher Hoehn-Yahr stage is a risk factor for sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease.

## Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of malnutrition, sleep disturbances, and the relationship between nutritional status and sleep quality in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

The study included 168 PD patients and 102 Healthy Controls (HCs) from January 2019 to December 2024 in Peking University International Hospital. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to determine malnutrition and risk of malnutrition. Sleep quality was assessed by Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) stage and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRSIII) were used to assess the motor severity of PD. Nutritional biomarkers, such as body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), total protein, albumin, prealbumin, uric acid, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), homocysteine, vitamin B12, ferritin, folate and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were included. The relationship between nutritional status and sleep quality was analyzed.

The study found the prevalence of malnutrition and malnutrition risk were 10.1 and 17.9% respectively, while 52.3% patients suffered from sleep disturbances in PD. There was significant difference between PD patients with sleep disturbances and those without in age, duration, H-Y stage, UPDRSIII, MNA, BMI, hemoglobin, total protein, albumin and prealbumin (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis preliminary identified H-Y stage and total protein as significant risk factors for sleep disturbances in PD patients (P < 0.05).

The study suggested malnutrition and malnutrition risk, and sleep disturbances were prevalent in PD patients. Nutritional biomarkers such as total protein are closely related to sleep quality in PD patients.