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Adherence to four dietary indices and the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific dementia: Findings from the UK Biobank study
Fernanda Carrasco‐Marín, Solange Liliana Parra-Soto, Marion Guerrero‐Wyss, Carolina Araya, Jirapitcha Boonpor, Carla Villagrán‐Cerro, Fanny Emily Petermann-Rocha, Oliver Michael Shannon et al.. Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism, 2025-07-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The analysis included 121 521 participants (mean age: 55.7 years; 53.5% women), followed for a median of 10.9 years. During follow-up, 621 participants developed dementia. Compared with individuals with the lowest dietary adherence (Quartile 1), those in the highest adherence group (Quartile 4) showed a lower risk of all-cause dementia for MDS (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.45-0.63), MIND (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.48-0.78), and RFS (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.53-0.85). Similar associations were observed for Alzheimer disease and MDS (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.46-0.67), RFS (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.47-0.80), and MIND (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51-0.87). For vascular dementia, only MDS (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.31-0.68) and MIND (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.40-0.97) showed a lower risk. These associations remained in a 5-year landmark analysis. No associations were observed for HDI with any dementia outcome. Our findings indicate that higher adherence to specific dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean, RFS and MIND diet, is associated with a lower risk of dementia. The Mediterranean Diet demonstrated the strongest association. These results highlight the potential of healthy dietary patterns to improve brain health in older adults.
Key findings
- The analysis included 121 521 participants (mean age: 55.7 years; 53.5% women), followed for a median of 10.9 years.
- During follow-up, 621 participants developed dementia.
- Compared with individuals with the lowest dietary adherence (Quartile 1), those in the highest adherence group (Quartile 4) showed a lower risk of all-cause dementia for MDS (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.45-0.63), MIND (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.48-0.78), and RFS (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.53-0.85).
- Similar associations were observed for Alzheimer disease and MDS (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.46-0.67), RFS (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.47-0.80), and MIND (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51-0.87).
- For vascular dementia, only MDS (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.31-0.68) and MIND (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.40-0.97) showed a lower risk.
Why it matters
In this UK Biobank cohort, higher adherence to the Mediterranean, MIND and RFS dietary patterns was linked to lower dementia risk, while no link was found for the HDI. The authors highlight the potential of healthy dietary patterns for brain health, but the study is observational and does not prove that these diets prevent dementia.
Study details
- Participants121
- Effect size53.5%; HR: 0.53; HR: 0.61
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism: journal h-index 186 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 121 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Rafael Molina‐Luque: h-index 15 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Glasgow: institution h-index 1,600 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 11 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40667707) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/dom.16609
- PubMed: 40667707
- Original source →
- Free full text: Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Carrasco‐Marín, F., Parra-Soto, S. L., Guerrero‐Wyss, M., Araya, C., Boonpor, J., Villagrán‐Cerro, C., et al. (2025). Adherence to four dietary indices and the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific dementia: Findings from the UK Biobank study. Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.16609
Vancouver
Carrasco‐Marín F, Parra-Soto SL, Guerrero‐Wyss M, Araya C, Boonpor J, Villagrán‐Cerro C, et al. Adherence to four dietary indices and the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific dementia: Findings from the UK Biobank study. Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism. 2025. doi:10.1111/dom.16609. PMID: 40667707.
BibTeX
@article{carrascomarin2025-40667707,
author = {Carrasco‐Marín, Fernanda and Parra-Soto, Solange Liliana and Guerrero‐Wyss, Marion and Araya, Carolina and Boonpor, Jirapitcha and Villagrán‐Cerro, Carla and Petermann-Rocha, Fanny Emily and Shannon, Oliver Michael and others},
title = {{Adherence to four dietary indices and the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific dementia: Findings from the UK Biobank study}},
journal = {Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1111/dom.16609},
pmid = {40667707},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.16609}
}
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