Diet May Moderate the Relationship Between Arterial Stiffness and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Cognitive decline is influenced by various factors including diet, cardiovascular disease, and glucose control. However, the combined effect of these risk factors on cognitive performance is yet to be fully understood. Objective: The current study aimed to explore the inter-relationship between these risk factors and cognitive performance in older adults at risk of future cognitive decline. Methods: The sample comprised 163 (Age: M = 65.23 years, SD = 6.50) participants. Food Frequency Questionnaire data was used to score diet quality and adherence to the Western Style Diet (WSD) and Prudent Style Diet (PSD). Glucose control was gauged by serum levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and arterial stiffness was measured using carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity. Cognitive performance was assessed using two subtests of the Swinburne University Computerized Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB) and Rey’s Verbal Learning Test (RVLT). Results: Diet quality, adherence to the WSD or PSD, and glucose control were not significantly related to cognitive outcomes. However, a significant negative association was found between arterial stiffness and the spatial working memory subtest of SUCCAB (β= –0.21, p < 0.05). Arterial stiffness also significantly interacted with the PSD to impact total recall (F change (1,134) = 5.37, p < 0.05) and the composite score of RVLT (F change (1,134) = 4.03, p < 0.05). Conclusion: In this sample of older adults at risk of cognitive decline, diet alone was not found to predict cognitive performance; however, it was found to moderate the relationship between arterial stiffness and cognition.

The Effects of Dietary Advanced Glycation End-Products on Neurocognitive and Mental Disorders

“…AGEs are most commonly implicated in T2DM [16][17][18], due to excess free sugars accelerating the formation of AGEs, in combination with AGEs inducing insulin resistance. Chronic dietary AGE consumption also contributes to arterial stiffness, which can lead to hypertension and systemic inflammation, and may contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in people with T2DM [19,20]. Additionally, while AGEs promote oxidative stress and chronic inflammation and impair insulin sensitivity, hyperglycaemia itself is also a key contributor to AGE synthesis [21].…”

Association of low-carbohydrate-diet score and cognitive performance in older adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

“…Diet is a kind of modifiable factor. It has previously been proposed that diet might play an important role in the intervention strategy for cognitive performance [ 4 , 5 ]. Fan, et al reported that adherence to higher Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) was associated with a better cognitive performance (such as processing speed and executive function) for American adults aged ≥ 60 years [ 6 ].…”