Nutrition and Dementia: Evidence for Preventive Approaches?

Marco Canevelli,Flaminia Lucchini,Giuseppe Bruno,Matteo Cesari,Federica Quarata

doi:10.3390/nu8030144

Abstract

In recent years, the possibility of favorably influencing the cognitive trajectory through promotion of lifestyle modifications has been increasingly investigated. In particular, the relationship between nutritional habits and cognitive health has attracted special attention. The present review is designed to retrieve and discuss recent evidence (published over the last 3 years) coming from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of nutritional interventions aimed at improving cognitive functioning and/or preventing cognitive decline in non-demented older individuals. A systematic review of literature was conducted, leading to the identification of 11 studies of interest. Overall, most of the nutritional interventions tested by the selected RCTs were found to produce statistically significant cognitive benefits (defined as improved neuropsychological test scores). Nevertheless, the clinical meaningfulness of such findings was not adequately discussed and appears controversial. In parallel, only 2 studies investigated between-group differences concerning incident dementia and mild cognitive impairment cases, reporting conflicting results. Results of the present review suggest that several dietary patterns and nutritional components may constitute promising strategies in postponing, slowing, and preventing cognitive decline. However, supporting evidence is overall weak and further studies are needed.

Highlights

The aging of our societies is leading to a dramatic increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions, threatening the sustainability of our healthcare systems
The identified articles were singularly evaluated according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) reporting results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs); (2) testing nutritional interventions; (3) adopting at least one outcome measure assessing cognitive performance and/or dementia incidence; (4) enrolling non-demented older persons; and
A total of 117 articles were retrieved from the literature to identify studies of potential interest for the present review (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

The aging of our societies is leading to a dramatic increase in the prevalence of chronic conditions, threatening the sustainability of our healthcare systems. Dementia is being increasingly recognized as a public health priority, given its enormous socioeconomic burdens in the absence of effective treatments [1] In this context, the adoption of preventive strategies against dementia has repeatedly been solicited [2,3]. Observational studies have indicated a wide range of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia that could constitute targets for preventive strategies [4]. This has promoted a gradual shift of the scientific understanding of dementia from that of an unpreventable late-life condition to that of a lifelong disease process resulting from the competition of multiple risk and protective factors [5].

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Discussion

Conclusion