Could Diet Predict Risk of Cognitive Decline?

A healthy diet pattern helps to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, according to a new study.

The research, presented at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, used data collected through the Rapid Eating and Activity Assessment for Patients questionnaire from 549 participants in the Einstein Aging Study to measure the effects of diet quality on cognitive function in older adults.
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Overall, researchers found that the risk of cognitive decline in those participants with healthy diet patterns was 35% less than those with less healthy diets.

The association remained significant after researchers adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, cardiovascular illness, and years of education, but after adjustment for race, the association only remained in white participants.

These study results suggest that regularly assessing diet among older individuals is a fast, easy was to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment through nutritional counseling or other intervention methods.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Lipton R, Derby, CA, Sundermann E. A brief dietary assessment predicts executive dysfunction in an elderly cohort. Paper preseted at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. July 21, 2015. Washington, DC.