Altering diet may offer memory protection, even for those with genes associated with Alzheimer's disease: Research Findings
A new study, led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet could help reduce the risk of dementia, especially for those at a higher genetic risk.
The study, which was conducted over a period of 34 years with 4,215 women in the Nurses' Health Study and 1,490 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, aimed to explore how the Mediterranean diet may reduce dementia risk and influence blood metabolites linked to cognitive health.
The study cohort consisted of well-educated individuals of European ancestry, and more research is needed in diverse populations. However, the results revealed important associations. People following a more Mediterranean-style diet had a lower risk of developing dementia and showed slower cognitive decline.
The protective effect of the diet was strongest in the high-risk group with two copies of the APOE4 gene variant, a genetic marker associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Yuxi Liu, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, added that the recommendation for the Mediterranean diet may be even more important for individuals at a higher genetic risk.
Researchers evaluated long-term dietary patterns using food frequency questionnaires and examined participants' blood samples for a broad range of metabolites. Genetic data were used to assess each participant's inherited risk for Alzheimer's disease.
The study, published in Nature Medicine, also noted a limitation: it did not include individuals from diverse populations. More work is needed to integrate the findings of this study into routine medical practice for Alzheimer's disease prevention.
Professor Song-Yi Park and her team at the University of Hawaii conducted a similar study on the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on dementia risk. Liu stated that dietary strategies, specifically the Mediterranean diet, could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and stave off dementia.
While the study results are promising, it's important to note that people often don't know their APOE genetics, and more work is needed to translate these findings into routine medical practice. The study did not incorporate genetics and metabolomics into most clinical risk prediction models for Alzheimer's disease.
A subset of 1,037 women underwent regular telephone-based cognitive testing. Participants were followed over time for new cases of dementia. The study's findings suggest that adhering to a Mediterranean-style diet could potentially lower the risk of dementia and slow cognitive decline, particularly for those at a higher genetic risk.
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