Associations between dietary patterns and structural neuroimaging markers of relevance for dementia

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundDiet is a lifestyle factors that could influence the risk of developing dementia. However, the impact of diet on the brain is not fully understood. Investigating associations between dietary patterns and neuroimaging markers of relevance for dementia could potentially increase this understanding.MethodThis study includes cross‐sectional data from the population‐based Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies, Sweden, including 610 dementia‐free 70‐year‐olds (born 1944, examined 2014‐16) with dietary and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data (54% women). Three dietary patterns were derived with principal component analysis, a western‐like pattern (e.g., refined cereal products, sweets, savory bakery/fast food), a Mediterranean‐like pattern (e.g., vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereal products) and a low‐fiber and high‐alcohol pattern (e.g., red meat/processed red meat, eggs, alcoholic beverages). Brain MRI markers were of overall neurodegeneration (i.e., mean cortical thickness), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neurodegeneration (based on cortical thickness of AD‐signature areas), and vascular brain pathology including early abnormalities in the white matter microstructure (derived from diffusion tensor imaging) and small vessel disease (presence of white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, cerebral microbleeds, and/or perivascular spaces). In data analysis, linear and ordinal regression models were adjusted for sex, energy intake, educational level, physical activity level, smoking and body mass index.ResultResults from this study showed a positive association between higher adherence to the Mediterranean‐like dietary pattern and higher white matter microstructural integrity (B 0.077; 95% CI 0.002 – 0.153). Moreover, a higher adherence to the low‐fibre and high‐alcohol dietary pattern was negatively associated with total mean cortical thickness (B ‐0.011; 95% CI ‐0.019 – ‐0.003) and an AD signature of cortical thickness (mean entorhinal, inferior temporal, middle temporal, and fusiform thickness) (B ‐0.013; 95% CI ‐0.024 – ‐0.001) in the fully adjusted models. No associations were found between the dietary patterns and the small vessel disease markers. Nor were there any associations between the western‐like dietary pattern and the MRI markers.ConclusionThis study suggests that there may be an association between certain dietary patterns and dementia‐related alterations. These findings could be of importance for dementia prevention strategies and for future intervention studies investigating the effect of dietary patterns in relation to dementia.