Anti-Inflammatory Diet May Lower Dementia Risk Even in People With Early Dementia Pathology

Older adults with biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease or neurodegeneration who adhered more closely to an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. In this Swedish population-based cohort study of 1,865 adults aged 60 years and older without dementia at baseline, researchers examined three healthy dietary patterns—the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and a reversed Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (rEDII), which reflects a diet with lower inflammatory potential. Over an average follow-up of 8.4 years, 240 participants developed dementia. Higher adherence to the anti-inflammatory rEDII pattern was associated with a 21%–29% lower dementia risk among individuals with elevated blood biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s pathology (p-tau217), neurodegeneration (NFL), and glial activation (GFAP). In contrast, the protective associations of the Mediterranean-style and AHEI diets were observed mainly among participants with lower biomarker levels. Similar results were found for Alzheimer’s disease–related dementia. These findings suggest that reducing dietary inflammatory potential may help delay or prevent dementia not only in the general population but also in individuals who already show biological evidence of Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative processes. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/