Mediterranean diet and 3-year Alzheimer brain biomarker changes in middle-aged adults.

Publication Type	Academic Article
Authors	Berti V, Walters M, Sterling J, Quinn C, Logue M, Andrews R, Matthews D, Osorio R, Pupi A, Vallabhajosula S, Isaacson R, de Leon M, Mosconi L
Journal	Neurology
Volume	90
Issue	20
Pagination	e1789-e1798
Date Published	04/13/2018
ISSN	1526-632X
Keywords	Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Diet, Mediterranean
Abstract	OBJECTIVE: To examine in a 3-year brain imaging study the effects of higher vs lower adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) on Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarker changes (brain β-amyloid load via 11C-Pittsburgh compound B [PiB] PET and neurodegeneration via 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] PET and structural MRI) in midlife. METHODS: Seventy 30- to 60-year-old cognitively normal participants with clinical, neuropsychological, and dietary examinations and imaging biomarkers at least 2 years apart were examined. These included 34 participants with higher (MeDi+) and 36 with lower (MeDi-) MeDi adherence. Statistical parametric mapping and volumes of interest were used to compare AD biomarkers between groups at cross section and longitudinally. RESULTS: MeDi groups were comparable for clinical and neuropsychological measures. At baseline, compared to the MeDi+ group, the MeDi- group showed reduced FDG-PET glucose metabolism (CMRglc) and higher PiB-PET deposition in AD-affected regions (p < 0.001). Longitudinally, the MeDi--group showed CMRglc declines and PiB increases in these regions, which were greater than those in the MeDi+ group (pinteraction < 0.001). No effects were observed on MRI. Higher MeDi adherence was estimated to provide 1.5 to 3.5 years of protection against AD. CONCLUSION: Lower MeDi adherence was associated with progressive AD biomarker abnormalities in middle-aged adults. These data support further investigation of dietary interventions for protection against brain aging and AD.
DOI	10.1212/WNL.0000000000005527
PubMed ID	29653991
PubMed Central ID	PMC5957301