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Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death
Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, Bjornevik K, Ascherio A, Wang DD, Chavarro JE, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, Willett WC, et al.. JAMA Network Open, 2024-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Importance Age-standardized dementia mortality rates are on the rise. Whether long-term consumption of olive oil and diet quality are associated with dementia-related death is unknown. Objective To examine the association of olive oil intake with the subsequent risk of dementia-related death and assess the joint association with diet quality and substitution for other fats. Design, setting, and participants This prospective cohort study examined data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1990-2018) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS; 1990-2018). The population included women from the NHS and men from the HPFS who were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to July 2023. Exposures Olive oil intake was assessed every 4 years using a food frequency questionnaire and categorized as (1) never or less than once per month, (2) greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 g/d, (3) greater than 4.5 g/d to less than or equal to 7 g/d, and (4) greater than 7 g/d. Diet quality was based on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index and Mediterranean Diet score. Main outcome and measure Dementia death was ascertained from death records. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs adjusted for confounders including genetic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Results Of 92 383 participants, 60 582 (65.6%) were women and the mean (SD) age was 56.4 (8.0) years. During 28 years of follow-up (2 183 095 person-years), 4751 dementia-related deaths occurred. Individuals who were homozygous for the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele were 5 to 9 times more likely to die with dementia. Consuming at least 7 g/d of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death (adjusted pooled HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.81]) compared with never or rarely consuming olive oil (P for trend Conclusions and relevance In US adults, higher olive oil intake was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality, irrespective of diet quality. Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health.
Key findings
- Whether long-term consumption of olive oil and diet quality are associated with dementia-related death is unknown.
- Results Of 92 383 participants, 60 582 (65.6%) were women and the mean (SD) age was 56.4 (8.0) years.
- Consuming at least 7 g/d of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death (adjusted pooled HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.81]) compared with never or rarely consuming olive oil (P for trend < .001); results were consistent after further adjustment for APOE ε4.
Why it matters
In this cohort study, consuming at least 7 grams of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death compared with never or rarely consuming olive oil. This is an observational association and does not prove that olive oil prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designcohort
- Participants92,383
- Effect sizeHR 0.72 (95% CI 0.64-0.81) for dementia-related death with ≥7 g/day olive oil vs never/rarely
- Evidence strengthModerate
Limitations
Observational; diet self-reported every 4 years; predominantly white health professionals; outcome is dementia listed on death certificates, which under-captures dementia.
How this study scored 70/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on free to read, so that was left out: it earned 69 of the 98 points we could judge it on, which is 70 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA Network Open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| 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 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 92,383 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 41 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.2 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.8× 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 | 2 / 4 | Cited 41 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Marta Guasch‐Ferré: h-index 62 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38709531) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 69 / 98 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 69 of the 98 points we could judge it on is 70 out of 100. |
| Total | 70 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021
- PubMed: 38709531
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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
Tessier, A. J., Cortese, M., Yuan, C., Bjornevik, K., Ascherio, A., Wang, D. D., et al. (2024). Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021
Vancouver
Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, Bjornevik K, Ascherio A, Wang DD, et al. Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death. JAMA Network Open. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021. PMID: 38709531.
BibTeX
@article{tessier2024-38709531,
author = {Tessier, A. J. and Cortese, M. and Yuan, C. and Bjornevik, K. and Ascherio, A. and Wang, D. D. and Chavarro, J. E. and Stampfer, M. J. and Hu, F. B. and Willett, W. C. and others},
title = {{Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death}},
journal = {JAMA Network Open},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021},
pmid = {38709531},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021}
}
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