Aging
Association between Midlife Intake of Ultra-processed Food and Later-life Subjective Cognitive Complaints among Older Women Kejia Zhang* Kejia Zhang Fen Wu Karen L Koenig Yian Gu Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Yu Chen
Almost two-thirds of cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, are women. Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are predictors of mild cognitive impairment and AD. Research into risk factors for SCCs may offer insight into the etiology and prevention of AD. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contain many ingredients including food additives that improve palatability and processed raw materials. Evidence is limited on the role of mid-life UPFs intake in late-life SCCs.
We included 5,119 participants who responded to the 2018 or 2021 follow-up from the New York University Women’s Health Study, a prospective cohort of 14,274 women recruited in 1985-90. Data on diet were collected at baseline using the validated Block food frequency questionnaire. Energy-adjusted total intake of UPFs and subgroups of UPFs, defined following the NOVA guidelines, were estimated using the residual method. SCCs were assessed by six self-reported questions at follow-up. We estimated ORs for ≥ 2 SCCs in relation to quintiles of UPFs intake, controlling for potential confounders including total calories, demographic and lifestyle factors, and comorbidities.
The ORs (95% CI) for ≥ 2 SCCs were 1.15 (0.94-1.39), 1.06 (0.87-1.30), 1.20 (0.99-1.46), and 1.24 (1.02-1.51), comparing women in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th quintile of energy-adjusted UPFs intake with those in the bottom quintile (p-trend = 0.02), respectively. The association was similar with multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting to account for potential selection bias. Among UPF subgroups, the OR for ≥ 2 SCCs was 1.24 (1.02-1.51), 1.20 (0.98-1.47), and 1.19 (0.97-1.46) comparing women in top quintile of energy-adjusted intakes of dairy, meats, and fast food, respectively, with those in the bottom quartile.
Higher levels of UPF intakes in midlife was associated with higher odds of late-life SCCs in women.