Association Between Adherence to the MIND Diet and Cognitive Performance is Affected by Income: The ELSA-Brasil Study

Adherence to the planetary health diet and cognitive decline: findings from the ELSA-Brasil study

The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a planetary health diet to improve human health within planetary boundaries; however, little is known about the association between adherence to this diet and cognitive decline. We used data from three waves of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health to evaluate the association between the planetary health diet and cognitive decline using linear mixed-effects models. Here we show that in 11,737 participants (mean (s.d.) age 51.6 (9.0) years, 54% women and 53% white), higher adherence to the planetary health diet was associated with slower memory decline (P = 0.046) and that income was a modifier in this association (P < 0.001). Adherence to the planetary health diet was associated with slower decline of memory (P = 0.040) and global cognition (P = 0.009) in high-income participants. No association was found among low-income participants. The results of our study highlight that the promotion of healthy dietary patterns should take into consideration income barriers as well as differences in dietary habits to achieve high adherence.

The 2022 symposium on dementia and brain aging in low- and middle-income countries: Highlights on research, diagnosis, care, and impact

Two of every three persons living with dementia reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected increase in global dementia rates is expected to affect LMICs disproportionately. However, the majority of global dementia care costs occur in high-income countries (HICs), with dementia research predominantly focusing on HICs. This imbalance necessitates LMIC-focused research to ensure that characterization of dementia accurately reflects the involvement and specificities of diverse populations. Development of effective preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for dementia in LMICs requires targeted, personalized, and harmonized efforts. Our article represents timely discussions at the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in LMICs that identified the foremost opportunities to advance dementia research, differential diagnosis, use of neuropsychometric tools, awareness, and treatment options. We highlight key topics discussed at the meeting and provide future recommendations to foster a more equitable landscape for dementia prevention, diagnosis, care, policy, and management in LMICs. HIGHLIGHTS: Two-thirds of persons with dementia live in LMICs, yet research and costs are skewed toward HICs. LMICs expect dementia prevalence to more than double, accompanied by socioeconomic disparities. The 2022 Symposium on Dementia in LMICs addressed advances in research, diagnosis, prevention, and policy. The Nairobi Declaration urges global action to enhance dementia outcomes in LMICs.

The Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet for the Aging Brain: A Systematic Review

The Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet seems a promising approach to preserve brain function during aging. Previous systematic reviews have demonstrated benefits of the MIND diet for cognition and dementia, though an update is needed. Additionally, other outcomes relevant to brain aging have not been summarized. Therefore, this systematic review aims to give an up-to-date and complete overview on human studies that examined the MIND diet in relation to brain aging outcomes in adults aged ≥40 y. Ovid Medline, Web of Science core collection, and Scopus were searched up to July 25, 2023. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool. We included 40 articles, of which 32 were unique cohorts. Higher MIND diet adherence was protective of dementia in 7 of 10 cohorts. Additionally, positive associations were demonstrated in 3 of 4 cohorts for global cognition and 4 of 6 cohorts for episodic memory. The protective effects of the MIND diet on cognitive decline are less apparent, with only 2 of 7 longitudinal cohorts demonstrating positive associations for global decline and 1 of 6 for episodic memory decline. For other brain outcomes (domain-specific cognition, cognitive impairments, Parkinson's disease, brain volume, and pathology), results were mixed or only few studies had been performed. Many of the cohorts demonstrating protective associations were of North American origin, raising the question if the most favorable diet for healthy brain aging is population-dependent. In conclusion, this systematic review provides observational evidence for protective associations between the MIND diet and global cognition and dementia risk, but evidence for other brain outcomes remains mixed and/or limited. The MIND diet may be the preferred diet for healthy brain aging in North American populations, though evidence for other populations seems less conclusive. This review was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022254625.

Impact of the MIND Diet on Cognition in Individuals with Dementia

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) plagues 6.5 million Americans 65+, yet treatments are lacking. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet has been developed to address the expansive impact of dementias on the general public. This systematic review evaluated the impact of the MIND diet on cognition in those with pathologies across the dementia spectrum.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the application of the MIND diet for prevention and/or treatment of dementia.

METHODS

PubMed was used to conduct a search using the MIND diet and terms related to cognition. Articles were excluded if they were published prior to 2018, studied a population without dementia or significant risk factors, or did not include those 65 + . The overall quality of each source was analyzed based on the cognitive test(s) used, the selection of subjects, and the sample size.

RESULTS

The search generated 33 papers, which yielded 11 articles after screening. Of these studies, one was conducted on those with mild cognitive impairment, one with AD, two with general dementia, and seven with at-risk individuals. All the studies found a positive correlation between adherence and some form of cognitive functioning, but results were mixed for specific cognitive domains.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the MIND diet may be a useful long-term treatment option for those with various dementia pathologies. However, more research is needed on subjects with onset dementias. Additionally, there is a need for more research into the mechanisms behind the common comorbidities.

MIND Dietary Pattern and Its Association with Cognition and Incident Dementia in the UK Biobank

A high adherence to the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) has been associated with better cognition and a lower risk of dementia in some but not all studies. We measured adherence to MIND and its association with cognitive health in the UK Biobank (UKB). A MIND score was derived from 24 h diet recall questionnaires for 120,661 participants who completed at least one of seven self-administered cognitive function tests. In a subset of 78,663 participants aged 55+, diagnosis of dementia was determined by linked hospital and death records. Multivariable regression and Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) models were used to examine associations of MIND with cognitive ability and incident dementia. Higher adherence to MIND was associated with a small but significant worsening in performance on five of seven cognitive tests (p < 0.002). Associations were strongest among highly educated participants (p < 0.002 for MIND × education interaction). After a mean follow-up time of 10.5 years, 842 participants developed dementia. Overall, MIND adherence was not associated with incident dementia. An inverse association was observed among females (HR = 0.87 per score standard deviation (SD), p = 0.008) but not males (HR = 1.09, p = 0.11) (p = 0.008 for MIND × sex interaction). Similar associations with cognitive ability and dementia were observed for the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) dietary pattern. Associations were not modified by genetic susceptibility. In UKB, the MIND diet was not associated with better cognitive test scores and only with lower dementia risk in women.