EndocrinologyA 'Heart Healthy' Diet And Ongoing, Moderate Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Decline
Eating a "heart healthy" diet and maintaining or increasing participation in moderate physical activity may help preserve our memory and thinking abilities as we age, according to new research reported today at the Alzheimer"s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.
"We can"t do anything about aging or family history, but research continues to show us that there are lifestyle decisions we all can make to keep our brains healthier, and that also may lower our risk of memory decline as we age," said William Thies, PhD, Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at the Alzheimer"s Association.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Pattern May Reduce Age-Related Cognitive Decline
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is often recommended by physicians to people with high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. The DASH diet eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. High blood pressure is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer"s and dementia.
Heidi Wengreen, RD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Utah State University, and colleagues examined associations between how closely people adhered to the DASH diet and risk of cognitive decline and dementia among older participants in the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging.
In 1995, 3,831 study participants 65 years of age or older completed a survey that included a food frequency questionnaire and cognitive assessment. Cognitive function was checked again during four assessments over 11 years using the Modified Mini-Mental State examination (3MS), which is graded on a 100 point scale. A DASH diet adherence score was created based on consumption levels of nine food-group/nutrient components -- fruit, vegetables, nut/legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy, sodium, sweets, non-fish meat, and fish. Participants were ranked by DASH score into five groups, or quintiles.
The researchers found that higher DASH scores were associated with higher scores for cognitive functioning at the beginning of the study and over time. Those in the highest quintile scored 1.42 points higher at baseline and 1.81 points higher after 11 years on the 3MS than did those in the lowest quintile of the DASH score (p-values Notes:
About ICAD 2009
The 2009 Alzheimer"s Association International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) brings together more than 3,000 researchers from 70 countries to share groundbreaking research and information on the cause, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer"s disease and related disorders. As a part of the Association"s research program, ICAD 2009 serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community. ICAD 2009 will be held in Vienna, Austria at Messe Wien Exhibition and Congress Center from July 11th.
About the Alzheimer"s Association
The Alzheimer"s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer"s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer"s. For more information, visit www.alz.org.
Heidi Wengreen, et al -- DASH diet adherence scores and cognitive decline and dementia among aging men and women: Cache County study of Memory Health and Aging (Funders: National Institute on Aging, Utah State University Agriculture Experiment Station)
Deborah Barnes, et al - The impact of changes in physical activity levels on rate of cognitive decline in a biracial cohort of non-demented elders (Funder: National Institutes of Health)
Mary Tierney, et al - Intensity of long-term physical activity and later life cognition in postmenopausal women (Funders: Women"s Health Student Experience, Women"s College Hospital, University of Toronto; Geriatric Research Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre)
Thomas Obisesan, et al - Aerobic-related physical activity interacting with apolipoprotein E genotypes, is associated with better cognitive function in a nationally representative sample: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (Funder: National Institutes of Health)
Control #: 09-A-1909-ALZ O3-02 - Epidemiology 2, Presentation #O3-02-04; Speaking Time: 7/14/2009, 3:45 - 4:00 PM
DASH diet adherence scores and cognitive decline and dementia among aging men and women: Cache County study of Memory Health and Aging.
Heidi J. Wengreen, Chailyn Nelson, Ronald Munger, Christopher Corcoran
Cache County Study Investigators, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.
Disclosure Block: H.J. Wengreen, None; C. Nelson, None; R. Munger, None; C. Corcoran, None.
Background: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern is recommended in the current dietary guidelines for Americans.
Methods: We prospectively examined associations between DASH diet adherence scores and risk of cognitive decline and dementia among aging men and women of the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging. In 1995, 3831 residents 65 years of age or older completed a baseline survey that included a food frequency questionnaire and cognitive assessment. Cognitive function was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State examination (3MS) during four assessments spanning 11 years. A DASH diet adherence score (DASH score) based on nine food-group/nutrient components (fruit, vegetables, nut/legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy, sodium, sweets, non-fish meat, and fish) was calculated. Multivariable mixed effects models were used to examine change in average 3MS score over time across increasing quintiles of the DASH score.
Results: Higher DASH scores were associated with higher 3MS scores at baseline and over time. Those in the highest quintile scored 1.42 (0.32) points higher at baseline and 1.81 (0.28) points higher after 11 years than did those in the lowest quintile of the DASH score (p-values