Following a heart-healthy diet may help women decrease their risk of developing symptoms of cognitive decline later in life, according to a new analysis published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia.[1]
The study’s authors examined decades of data from more than 5,000 women who participated in the NYU Women’s Health Study, exploring how following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) early in life appeared to impact long-term health.
What is the DASH diet?
The DASH diet is low on sodium and high on nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein and fiber. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts are all parts of a standard DASH diet. Beef, pork, lamb, fattier dairy products, tropical oils, sweets and sugar-sweetened drinks, meanwhile, are severely limited in such a diet.
In January 2023, U.S. News and World Report ranked the DASH diet at No. 1 on its list of the top heart-healthy diets. In May 2023, meanwhile, a separate analysis out of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ranked it as one of the three best diets for preventing cardiovascular disease.
Following up with patients 30 years later
Overall, investigators found that women who closely followed the DASH diet from 1985 to 1991, when they were in their middle-age years, were 17% less likely to report memory issues and other early signs of cognitive decline over the next 30 years than other women. This was all based on self-reported assessments as opposed to physician-confirmed evaluations or diagnoses, the group noted, but the difference in health risks remains relevant.
“Subjective complaints about daily cognitive performance are early predictors of more serious neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s,” senior author Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, a professor with the department of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
“Our data suggest that it is important to start a healthy diet in midlife to prevent cognitive impairment in older age,” added lead author Yixiao Song, a researcher with NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Click here to read the full study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, a journal from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.