Mediterranean Diet, Physical Exercise and Dementia

It is well known that Mediterranean diet (much fruit, many vegetables, much olive oil, few saturated fats, few dairy products, a few meat) is associated with cardiovascular advantages, giving a protection also against cognitive decline. Through two new trials, this last association has been assessed, and in one of the two trials the factor represented by physical activity has been assessed, too. In an extension of the original cohort, prospective study, examining the relation between Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer’s disease risk (AD; Annals of Neurology 2006; 59:912), the relation with diet and physical activity has also been assessed in 1880 elderly living in New York (averagely 77). During follow-up, lasted about 5 years, 282 of them have developed dementia. Through adjusted analyses, both intense physical exercise and Mediterranean diet have been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease: the absolute risk of Alzheimer’s dementia was of 19% in the subjects with a poor physical activity and compliance with Mediterranean diet, while it was of 12% in the subjects with both above mentioned factors. In a French prospective study, researchers have tried to repeat the study performed in New York, assessing not only diet and physical activity, but also a wide range of factors in 1410 older adults (averagely 76) through a 5-year follow-up. There has been no association between Mediterranean diet and 4 standardized cognitive tests, except for a statistically significant but little effect on Mini Mental Status Examination (0.7 points of difference in 5 years). Through analyses considering a great number of variables, it was seen, instead, no relation between diet and incidence of Alzheimer’s dementia.

  1. Scarmeas N et al. Physical activity, diet, and risk of Alzheimer disease. JAMA 2009 Aug 12; 302:627
  2. Feart C et al. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia. JAMA 2009 Aug 12; 302:638
(Neurology)

Our comment:

According to the study performed in New York, physical activity has a sort of protection towards the onset of Alzheimer’s dementia, while the relation between this disease and the diet is still not very clear and debated by the French study. For the moment, waiting for possible randomized trials, we can certainly advice Mediterranean diet and physical activity for their proven effects on cardiovascular diseases, hoping that there is some positive effects also on dementia.
January 2010
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