Background: As the worldwide population is aging, a substantial number of older people are cognitively impaired or demented. Studies from the Western cultures have shown that adherence to certain dietary indices may provide benefits for brain functioning and hence, preserve cognitive health. However, whether the same benefits can be established in Asian populations remain unknown. Objective : The study aimed to investigate the association between alternative Mediterranean diet (aMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) scores and the risk of cognitive impairment (CI). Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data analyses were conducted using a sample of 620 community-dwelling older adults (aged 60 and above) that had an average follow-up of five years. Study diagnosis of CI was made through a combination of a modified Singapore version of the original Mini-Mental State Examination (SM-MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and a battery of standard neurocognitive tests. Results: Adherence to aMED, but not DASH and HDI, was associated with a 67% reduction in risk of MCI in the cross-sectional analysis (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.10 - 0.81, P-trend < 0.018). In the longitudinal analysis, neither of the dietary indices were associated with CI risk in the longitudinal analysis. Conclusion: aMED may be a potential target for reducing the burden of cognitive impairment in Asian adults. However, prospective studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to evaluate the long-term effect of the diet.

Authors:
Kaisy Xinhong Ye, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Anderson Yi Yang Khoo, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Kai Xuan Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Lirong Yu, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Lei Feng, National University of Singapore, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Kaisy Ye is an accredited practising dietitian. She is interested in the prevention of diseases through diet and lifestyle modifications.

Connect on Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kaisy-ye-a04bb4106

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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