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72/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 72 out of 100. Prevention trials

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Age-related cognitive impairment and dementia pose a significant global health, social, and economic challenge. While Alzheimer's disease (AD) has historically been viewed as the leading cause of dementia, recent evidence reveals the considerable impact of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), which now accounts for nearly half of all dementia cases. The Mediterranean diet-characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil-has been widely recognized for its cardiovascular benefits and may also reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. To investigate the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive health, we conducted a systematic literature review using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, focusing on studies published between 2000 and 2024. The studies included in the meta-nalysis examined the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the incidence of dementia and AD. We applied a random-effects model to calculate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and assessed heterogeneity through I-square statistics. Forest plots, funnel plots, and Z-score plots were used to visualize study outcomes. Of the 324 full-text records reviewed, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The combined HR for cognitive impairment among those adhering to the Mediterranean diet was 0.82 (95% CI 0.75-0.89); for dementia, the HR was 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.95); and for AD, the HR was 0.70 (95% CI 0.60-0.82), indicating substantial protective effects. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies, though Z-score plots suggested sufficient sample sizes to support reliable conclusions for each condition. In conclusion, this meta-analysis confirms that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with an 11-30% reduction in the risk of age-related cognitive disorders, including cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD. These findings underscore the Mediterranean diet's potential as a central element in neuroprotective public health strategies to mitigate the global impact of cognitive decline and dementia and to promote healthier cognitive aging.

Key findings

Age-related cognitive impairment and dementia pose a significant global health, social, and economic challenge.
Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies, though Z-score plots suggested sufficient sample sizes to support reliable conclusions for each condition.
In conclusion, this meta-analysis confirms that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with an 11-30% reduction in the risk of age-related cognitive disorders, including cognitive impairment, dementia, and AD.
These findings underscore the Mediterranean diet's potential as a central element in neuroprotective public health strategies to mitigate the global impact of cognitive decline and dementia and to promote healthier cognitive aging.

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Study details

Study designmeta-analysis
Evidence strengthHigh

How this study scored 72/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 42 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 72 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (GeroScience)
Journal's citation record	— / 4	No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score
Study design	12 / 12	A meta-analysis pooling many studies
Strength of evidence	5 / 5	Rated “high” 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	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here
Times cited	— / 7	No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score
Citations per year	— / 5	No citation count or no year — left out of this score
Impact for its field and year	— / 6	No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score
Cited by studies here	— / 6	Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score
Still being cited	— / 4	No yearly citation counts — left out of this score
Senior author's track record	— / 4	Senior author's record not available — left out of this score
Institution's track record	— / 3	No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score
Multi-centre collaboration	— / 3	Institutions not listed — left out of this score
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39797935)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	42 / 58	Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 42 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 72 out of 100.
Total	72 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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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

Fekete, M., Varga, P., Ungvari, Z., Fekete, J. T., Buda, A., Á, S., et al. (2025). The role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of cognitive impairement, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis. GeroScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01488-3

Vancouver

Fekete M, Varga P, Ungvari Z, Fekete JT, Buda A, Á S, et al. The role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of cognitive impairement, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis. GeroScience. 2025. doi:10.1007/s11357-024-01488-3. PMID: 39797935.

BibTeX

@article{fekete2025-39797935,
  author  = {Fekete, M. and Varga, P. and Ungvari, Z. and Fekete, J. T. and Buda, A. and Á, Szappanos and Lehoczki, A. and Mózes, N. and others},
  title   = {{The role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of cognitive impairement, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis}},
  journal = {GeroScience},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1007/s11357-024-01488-3},
  pmid    = {39797935},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01488-3}
}

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