How dietary choices play a role in cognitive health of aging women

As the quest for understanding the relationship between diet and cognitive health continues, a new study sheds light on the potential benefits of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet for women. The study showed that greater adherence to the mid-life DASH diet is associated with a lower prevalence of late-life subjective cognitive complaints in women, with the strongest effects observed in those without a history of cancer.

The study, conducted as part of the New York University Women's Health Study, focused on 5116 women with a mean age of 46 in the years 1985-1991, and then assessed their SCCs from 2018 to 2020 when their mean age had reached 79 years. The results are striking.

The study suggested a clear and protective association between mid-life DASH diet adherence and late-life cognitive complaints, with a statistically significant trend.

The researchers also used multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting to account for potential selection bias, and the inverse association remained robust. Moreover, this effect was even more pronounced in women without a history of cancer reinforcing the potential impact of dietary choices on cognitive health.

In summary, the study underlines the importance of dietary patterns, particularly the DASH diet, in preserving cognitive health as women age. The findings suggest that adhering to the DASH diet in mid-life may lead to a lower prevalence of late-life subjective cognitive complaints.

Reference: Mid-life adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and late-life subjective cognitive complaints in women, Yixiao Song et al, 20 October 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13468