Anti-Inflammatory Diet May Improve Brain and Cognitive Health in People with Cardiometabolic Diseases

Results of a UK Biobank cohort study published in JAMA Network Open show that older adults with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) who followed an anti-inflammatory diet compared with a proinflammatory diet had a decreased risk of developing dementia as well as improved brain volume measures. The results suggest that adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet, characterized by higher intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and legumes, may have benefits for brain and cognitive health among people with CMDs.

The study included 84,342 dementia-free participants from the UK Biobank aged 60 years or older, of whom 14,079 (16.7%) had ≥1 CMD at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 1559 individuals (1.9%) developed dementia. Researchers measured regional brain volumes via MRI in a subsample of 8917 participants, and joint effect analysis was utilized to determine the statistical relationship between CMDs, diet, and dementia risk. Dietary data were collected using the Oxford WebQ assessment administered via email.

Compared with participants with CMDs following a pro-inflammatory diet, those who followed an anti-inflammatory diet:

• Had a 31% lower risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio [HR], .69; 95% CI, .55 to .88; P=.003)
• Had significantly larger gray matter volume
• Had a smaller white matter hyperintensity volume

While these findings suggest that adherence to an anti-inflammatory diet has potential benefits for brain structure and health, the authors note that further research is needed to establish causality. Cardiometabolic diseases include conditions such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and stroke.