Diet Mediterrania dapat mencegah Alzheimer

Para ahli meneliti hubungan antara diet mediterrania dan penyakit Alzheimer
dengan melakukan studi kasus kontrol.

Hasil penelitian mendapatkan bahwa penganut diet mediterrania mempunyai
risiko lebih rendah untuk terkena penyakit Alzheimer (odds ratio, 0.76; 95%
confidence interval, 0.67-0.87; P<.001).
Namun belum jelas mekanisme yang mempengaruhi hal tersebut.

Abstract

Mediterranean Diet, Alzheimer Disease, and Vascular Mediation

Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD; Yaakov Stern, PhD; Richard Mayeux, MD; Jose A.
Luchsinger, MD
Arch Neurol. 2006;63:(doi:10.1001/archneur.63.12.noc60109).

Objectives To examine the association between the Mediterranean diet (MeDi)
and Alzheimer disease (AD) in a different AD population and to investigate
possible mediation by vascular pathways.
Design, Setting, Patients, and Main Outcome Measures A case-control study
nested within a community-based cohort in New York, NY. Adherence to the
MeDi (0- to 9-point scale with higher scores indicating higher adherence)
was the main predictor of AD status (194 patients with AD vs 1790
nondemented subjects) in logistic regression models that were adjusted for
cohort, age, sex, ethnicity, education, apolipoprotein E genotype, caloric
intake, smoking, medical comorbidity index, and body mass index (calculated
as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). We investigated
whether there was attenuation of the association between MeDi and AD when
vascular variables (stroke, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease,
lipid levels) were simultaneously introduced in the models (which would
constitute evidence of mediation).
Results Higher adherence to the MeDi was associated with lower risk for AD
(odds ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.87; P<.001). Compared
with subjects in the lowest MeDi tertile, subjects in the middle MeDi
tertile had an odds ratio of 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.76) and
those at the highest tertile an odds ratio of 0.32 (95% confidence interval,
0.17-0.59) for AD (P for trend <.001). Introduction of the vascular
variables in the model did not change the magnitude of the association.
Conclusions We note once more that higher adherence to the MeDi is
associated with a reduced risk for AD. The association does not seem to be
mediated by vascular comorbidity. This could be the result of either other
biological mechanisms (oxidative or inflammatory) being implicated or
measurement error of the vascular variables.
Published online October 9, 2006 (doi:10.1001/archneur.63.12.noc60109).
Author Affiliations: Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and
the Aging Brain (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, Mayeux, and Luchsinger); Gertrude H.
Sergievsky Center (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, and Mayeux); and Departments of
Neurology (Drs Scarmeas, Stern, and Mayeux) and Medicine (Dr Luchsinger),
Columbia University, New York, NY.