The impact of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive health in older adults

Abstract

Topic Overview: Dementia is the leading cause of morbidity among older adults. Due to population ageing, the global prevalence of dementia continues to rise and poses a burden to family members, healthcare and the economy. Dementia is recognised as a global challenge due to increasing prevalence. Furthermore, a cure for dementia does not exist yet, thus stressing the importance of effective primary intervention strategies. The Research Question: Does the Mediterranean Diet (MD) reduce the risk of cognitive decline among older persons? The PEO Elements: Population- Older adults aged 65 years or older Exposure- The Mediterranean Diet Outcome- Cognitive decline risk reduction The Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: The studies were limited to ones published in the English Language from 2008 to 2018 and peer-reviewed. The studies included recruited participants aged 65 years and older and assessed the impact of the MD on cognitive decline including mild cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies which assessed specific nutrients rather than the effectiveness of the MD in general, used multi-domain interventions, modified MD or non-dietary comparisons were excluded. Expert opinions, descriptive studies and studies which had less than 50% response rate were also excluded. The Outcome of the Search: Six studies consisting of one systematic review, one randomised controlled trial, three cohort studies and one cross-sectional study. The Methods of Appraisal Used: The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria were used to appraise the key studies. Results and Conclusion: Although most of the studies favoured the use of the MD to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, others found no significant association. Thus the pooled findings of the selected studies indicate that the research question is still inconclusive. Implications and Important Recommendations: Further studies need to be conducted; such studies need to recruit younger participants. Further policies which encourage healthy eating among the Maltese population, both within the community and healthcare settings, should be implemented.