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Published on: November 14, 2017
Dietary patterns associated with Alzheimer's disease: population based study.
1University Memory and Cognition Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. kasiagu@yahoo.ca
Summary
Dietary pattern analysis reveals distinct eating habits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients compared to healthy individuals. AD patients consumed more meat and high-fat dairy, while controls favored grains and vegetables.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Dietary Pattern Analysis
Background:
- Traditional nutrient-focused dietary research may overlook complex diet-disease relationships.
- Dietary pattern analysis offers a holistic approach to understanding diet's role in diseases like Alzheimer's.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare dietary patterns between individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy controls.
- To identify specific food consumption patterns associated with AD in a Polish population.
Main Methods:
- Factor analysis (principal component analysis) was employed to derive dietary patterns from food-frequency questionnaire data.
- A population-based study in Poland screened individuals over 55, recruiting 71 AD patients and 71 age/gender-matched controls.
- Varimax rotation was used for simpler interpretation of the identified food patterns.
Main Results:
- Two distinct dietary patterns were identified: FACTOR AD and FACTOR C.
- The AD dietary pattern (FACTOR AD) was characterized by high consumption of meat, butter, high-fat dairy, eggs, and refined sugar.
- The control dietary pattern (FACTOR C) was characterized by high consumption of grains and vegetables.
Conclusions:
- Dietary pattern analysis successfully differentiated eating habits between AD patients and healthy controls in the studied Polish population.
- Specific dietary patterns, such as high intake of animal products and refined sugars, are associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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