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Adherence to a M editerranean‐style diet can slow the rate of cognitive decline and decrease the risk of dementia: a systematic review
Author(s) -
Opie Rachelle Sara,
Ralston Robin A.,
Walker Karen Z.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.479
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1747-0080
pISSN - 1446-6368
DOI - 10.1111/1747-0080.12016
Subject(s) - dementia , hazard ratio , medicine , cognitive decline , disease , mediterranean diet , cognition , gerontology , prospective cohort study , cohort , lower risk , hyperintensity , magnetic resonance imaging , psychiatry , confidence interval , radiology
Aim The aim of the present study was to explore the association between a M editerranean‐style diet and cognitive performance, dementia, A lzheimer's disease and associated mortality in ageing populations. Methods A systematic search of O vid M edline, E mbase and C inahl plus databases for papers published from S eptember 1970. Results Ten prospective cohort studies and one cross‐sectional study were included in this review. Higher adherence to a M editerranean‐style diet was associated with significantly decreased risks for all‐cause dementia, A lzheimer's disease, A lzheimer's disease mortality and infarcts detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Adherence to a M editerranean‐style diet was not, however, consistently associated with tests of cognitive performance and was not associated with the presence of white matter hyper‐intensities in the brain. In four of six studies, subjects in the highest tertile for M editerranean diet adherence had a 28–48% lower risk for development of dementia or A lzheimer's disease than subjects in the lowest tertile. For subjects with A lzheimer's disease, those in the highest tertile of adherence to a M editerranean‐style diet had a 73% lower mortality risk than those in the lowest tertile (fully adjusted hazard ratio 0.27, 95% CI s: 0.10–0.69, P for trend = 0.003). Conclusions There is strong evidence for the protective role of a M editerranean‐style diet against cognitive decline and development of A lzheimer's disease. Strategies should now be sought to promote this eating pattern in older A ustralians. Support for dietitians in implementing this change has potential to reduce the high health‐care costs associated with cognitive decline on ageing.