Dietary fatty acids and risk of Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment: a prospective cohort meta-analysis
Run-ze Zhu Nutrition 26 May 2021, 111355
Highlights
• To assess the relationship between dietary fatty acids intake and cognition
• PUFAs are not associated with risk of AD
• MUFAs are not associated with risk of dementia
• SFAs are not associated with mild cognitive impairment
• Compared with other dietary fatty acids, N-3PUFAs may be protective factors of MCI
Background
: The association between dietary fatty acid intake and Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) risk is still inconsistent. This meta-analysis examined the effect of dietary fatty acid intake in prospective cohort studies including AD, dementia and MCI subjects.
Methods
: PubMed, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and VIP Database were systematically searched through September 2020. The random effects model was used to combine the highest and lowest categories of multivariable adjusted relative risk (RR). Prospective cohort studies that included associations between dietary fatty acid intake and the risk of AD, dementia, or MCI were included.
Results
: This meta-analysis identified 4717 articles in PubMed (3153), CBM (604), CNKI (572), Wanfang Data (305) and VIP Database (83). Fourteen studies were included, comprising 54177 participants: 1696 patients with AD, 1118 patients with dementia and 2889 patients with MCI. The pooled RR showed a significant association only between n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake and MCI risk (RR=0.86, 95% CI=0.75-0.98), with no heterogeneity between studies (I2=0.0%). The intake of total fatty acids, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), cholesterol, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n-3 PUFAs, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acids (DHAs) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPAs) was not significantly associated with AD risk. The intake of total fatty acids, SFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs and n-3 PUFAs was not significantly associated with dementia risk.
Conclusions
: This meta-analysis provides evidence that n-3 PUFA intake may be negatively associated with MCI risk.