Longitudinal associations between dietary quality and Alzheimer's disease genetic risk on cognitive performance among African American adults.
Poor diet quality (DQ) is associated with poor cognition and increased neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We are interested in the role of DQ on cognitive functioning (by sex and increasing genetic risk for AD), in a sample of African American (AA) middle-aged adults. We analysed a sub-group of participants (about 55 % women; mean follow-up time of about 4·7 years) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study with a genetic risk score for AD (hAlzScore). The Healthy Eating Index-2010, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and the mean adequacy ratio computed at baseline (2004-2009) and follow-up visits (2009-2013) were used to assess initial DQ and change over time. Linear mixed-effects regression models were utilised, adjusting for select covariates, selection bias and multiple testing. DQ change (ΔDQ) was associated with California Verbal Learning Test-List A - overall (0·15 (se 0·06), P = 0·008) and in women (0·21 (se 0·08), P = 0·006), at highest AD risk, indicating protective effects over time. Greater AD risk was longitudinally associated with poorer Clock Command Test scores in men. Poor DQ was positively and cross-sectionally associated with Trails B scores, but in women only. Better-quality diet was associated with a slower decline in verbal memory among AA women, with greater AD risk. Insufficient clinical evidence and/or mixed findings dictate that more studies are needed to investigate brain morphology and volume changes in relation to DQ in an at-risk population for AD, over time.
['Hossain|Sharmin|S|0000-0003-1516-3251', 'Beydoun|May A|MA|', 'Weiss|Jordan|J|', 'Kuczmarski|Marie F|MF|', 'Evans|Michele K|MK|', 'Zonderman|Alan B|AB|']
D000328:Adult D001741:African Americans D000544:Alzheimer Disease D003071:Cognition D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction D004034:Diet Surveys D000072001:Diet, Healthy D005260:Female D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease D000073656:Healthy Aging D006801:Humans D016014:Linear Models D008137:Longitudinal Studies D008297:Male D008568:Memory D008875:Middle Aged D009483:Neuropsychological Tests D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena D011446:Prospective Studies D012307:Risk Factors D012737:Sex Factors
Genetic risk Adults Diet quality Alzheimer’s disease Cognitive decline Health disparities