Effect of Dietary Habits on Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

Purpose: Research on the relationship between diet and dementia among Koreans are lacking. This study investigated the association between dietary habits and dementia progression over 3 years in patients with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD). Materials and Methods: This study included 705 patients with mild-to-moderate ADD. Dietary habits were assessed using the Mini Dietary Assessment Index, comprising 10 questions. Outcome measures included the Clinical Dementia Rating scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Seoul-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Caregiver-Administered Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CGA-NPI), and neuropsychological test battery (NTB) z-scores, which were evaluated annually over 3 years. Results: In Q10 (eat all food evenly without being picky), the 3-year mean differences in CDR-SB (increases in scores represent worsening) compared to the “rarely” group were-1.86 [95% confidence interval (CI)=-3.64–-0.09, p=0.039] for the “usually” group and-2.23 (95% CI=-4.40–-0.06, p=0.044) for the “always” group. In Q7 (add salt or soy sauce to food when eating), the 3-year mean differences in CDR-SB compared to the “always” group were-2.47 (95% CI=-4.70–-0.24, p=0.030) for the “usually” group and-3.16 (95% CI=-5.36 –-0.96, p=0.005) for the “rarely” group. The “rarely” and “usually” groups in Q7 showed significantly less decline in NTB z-score and CGA-NPI compared to the “always” group. Conclusion: Eating a balanced diet and reducing salt intake were associated with a slower decline in dementia severity, cognition, and behavioral alterations in patients with ADD.