To examine the associations between adherence to healthy dietary patterns and the risk of dementia in older adults with varying levels of neurodegenerative biomarkers.
Approach:
Study Design: Population-based sample of 1865 older adults without dementia, using repeated dietary assessments over 6 years.
Dietary Patterns Assessed: Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and reversed Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (rEDII).
Biomarkers Evaluated: Blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration including phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 (p-tau217), neurofilament light chain (NFL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).
Key Findings:
Higher adherence to a diet with lower inflammatory potential (rEDII) was associated with lower dementia risk among individuals with elevated neurodegenerative biomarkers.
Inverse associations with dementia risk for AMED and AHEI were observed primarily in participants with lower biomarker levels.
Greater adherence to all three dietary patterns was linked to more time spent free of dementia among individuals with high p-tau217 levels.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study's observational nature limits causal inferences.
Potential confounding factors not fully accounted for in the analysis.
