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Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive status in older Italian adults
Margherita Grasso, Francesca L’Episcopo, Annamaria Fidilio, Marco Antonio Olvera-Moreira, Giuseppe Toscano, Stefano Muratore, Margherita Drago, Sabrina Musso et al.. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026-04-29
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
MCI patients showed significantly reduced plasma levels of TGF-β1 and increased TNF-α concentrations compared to other participants. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower likelihood of MCI in a dose-response manner (highest versus lowest adherence quartile, odds ratio: 0.07, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.60). Additional adjustment for inflammatory biomarkers attenuated the associations, suggesting a potential mediating role. Our findings showed that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with lower likelihood of being MCI. Such a relation might be, at least in part, mediated by inflammatory biomarkers. Overall, these results support the role of dietary modulation in preventive strategies against cognitive decline and progression into MCI.
Key findings
- MCI patients showed significantly reduced plasma levels of TGF-β1 and increased TNF-α concentrations compared to other participants.
- After adjustment for potential confounding factors, greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower likelihood of MCI in a dose-response manner (highest versus lowest adherence quartile, odds ratio: 0.07, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.60).
- Additional adjustment for inflammatory biomarkers attenuated the associations, suggesting a potential mediating role.
- Our findings showed that higher adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with lower likelihood of being MCI.
- Such a relation might be, at least in part, mediated by inflammatory biomarkers.
Why it matters
In this cross-sectional study of older Italian adults, greater Mediterranean diet adherence was linked to lower likelihood of mild cognitive impairment, and this link appeared partly explained by inflammatory biomarkers. The study supports dietary modulation in prevention strategies, but its design cannot prove cause and effect.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants37
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in Nutrition) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Frontiers in Nutrition: journal h-index 147 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 37 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Filippo Caraci: h-index 64 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Catania: institution h-index 518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42137865) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1809163
- PubMed: 42137865
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Nutrition →
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
Grasso, M., L’Episcopo, F., Fidilio, A., Olvera-Moreira, M. A., Toscano, G., Muratore, S., et al. (2026). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive status in older Italian adults. Frontiers in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1809163
Vancouver
Grasso M, L’Episcopo F, Fidilio A, Olvera-Moreira MA, Toscano G, Muratore S, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive status in older Italian adults. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2026. doi:10.3389/fnut.2026.1809163. PMID: 42137865.
BibTeX
@article{grasso2026-42137865,
author = {Grasso, Margherita and L’Episcopo, Francesca and Fidilio, Annamaria and Olvera-Moreira, Marco Antonio and Toscano, Giuseppe and Muratore, Stefano and Drago, Margherita and Musso, Sabrina and others},
title = {{Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, inflammatory biomarkers and cognitive status in older Italian adults}},
journal = {Frontiers in Nutrition},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3389/fnut.2026.1809163},
pmid = {42137865},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1809163}
}
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