A higher quality diet is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline, according to the international ONTARGET (Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial) and TRANSCEND (Telmisartan Randomised Assessment Study in ACE Intolerant Subjects with Cardiovascular Disease) trials.
Researchers recorded baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and dietary intake using the modified Alternative Health Eating Index in 27,860 men and women and used Cox proportional regression to determine the association between diet quality and risk of a 3 or more point decline in MMSE scores.
After an average 56 months of follow-up, investigators determined subjects in the healthiest diet quintile had a 0.76 risk of cognitive decline than those in the lowest quintile.
Citation: Smyth A, Dehghan M, O'Donnell M, et al; ONTARGET and TRANSCEND Investigators. Healthy eating and reduced risk of cognitive decline: A cohort from 40 countries. Neurology. 2015 May 6. pii: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001638. [Epub ahead of print]