Gerd Faxén Irving, Associate Professor

JAD profile

Affiliation(s): 

Department of Neurobiology; Care Science and Society; Division of Clinical Geriatrics; Karolinska Institutet Stockholm & Allied Health Professionals; Function Area Clinical Nutrition; Karolinska University Hospital; Stockholm

Areas of Interest: 

nutrition and AD

Biography & Research: 

Nutrition and dementia - OmegAD-study group Member of the "OmegAD study-group" (omega-3 fatty acids to patients with AD) with focus on diet and nutrition related effects. Supplementation with n-3 FA resulted in improved appetite and weight gain in the intervention group and also in the control group when they received treatment with n-3 FA after 6 months. The treatment resulted in increased plasma levels of transthyretin (TTR), which is interesting because TTR possibly influence the deposition of beta-amyloid in the brain, a pathological finding of AD. Focus group interviews with relatives to the patients in the study showed how the food situation was affected and how some of the relatives had to find a new role as "food provider". Multimodal preventive trials for Alzheimer´s disease (AD MIND-MINI) The purpose of the MIND-AD project is to implement a lifestyle intervention containing physical exercise, education about nutrition and diet counseling, cognitive training as well as careful management of vascular and metabolic risk factors. In the first instance, a pilot study with Germany, France, Finland and Sweden will be performed. Responsible for the project: Miia Kivipelto. My role in the project is to plan and work with the nutrition intervention. Publications, books Co-author of the ESPEN guidelines for nutrition in Dementia (november 2015), (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism). Co –authorship, books: • ”Alzheimers sjukdom”, 2013. Editor: Agneta Nordberg • "Stroke, 2012. Editor: Ann-Cathrin Jönsson • ”Geriatrisk nutrition” 2010 revised version nov 2016