A Prospective Study Of Mediterranean Diet And Cognitive Decline

Cognitive impairment affects 16-25% of older adults in the US and Canada and has profound effects on quality of life. Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) has been associated with better cognitive function in some studies, but results have been inconsistent. To analyze the relationship between MedDiet adherence and rates of cognitive decline. Data were taken from the ARIC study, which included 10,104 adults age 45-64 from 4 counties in the US. Food frequency questionnaire data was used to assess MedDiet adherence according to the Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score. Cognitive function was assessed by combining Delayed Word Recall, Digit Symbol Substitution, and Word Fluency tests administered at baseline and six-year follow-up. Linear regression was used to assess the association between MedDiet score and change in cognitive function. The average MedDiet score was 20.0 ± 6.5 with sub-scores for whole grain and wine consumption at 1.2 ± 1.1 and 0.4 ± 1.1, respectively. There was no significant relationship between MedDiet Score and cognitive change in univariate, demographic, or fully adjusted models. ARIC participants had low MedDiet adherence, particularly in whole grain and wine consumption. MedDiet adherence was not significantly associated with cognitive change among ARIC participants.