(P25-001-24) MIND Diet Association With Less White Matter Hyperintensities and Cerebral Arteriosclerosis in Older Adults

Objectives: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cerebral arteriosclerosis involving thickening of the vessel wall and stenosis of brain arterioles are common in older adults and are associated with poor cognitive and motor function. In contrast, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) diet is associated with better cognitive and motor health. Little is known about the association of dietary patterns with cerebrovascular outcomes in aging. This study investigates the association of the MIND diet with WMH volume, arteriolosclerosis, and total brain volume (TBV) among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: The study includes 561 participants from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study, the Rush Memory and Aging Project with dietary and neuroimaging data available no more than a year apart. MIND diet scores were obtained using a valid >142-item food frequency questionnaire. In-vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected using a 3T MRI scanner. WMH were segmented using a deep learning model. WMH percent of intracranial volume was log-transformed. Arteriolosclerosis was assessed using a fully automated in-vivo MRI-based marker named ARTS (ARTerioloSclerois). An ARTS score was generated for each participant, with higher ARTS scores indicating a higher likelihood of arteriolosclerosis. TBV was the sum of grey and white matter volume calculated using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox. Linear regression models controlled for age at the time of assessment, sex, MRI scanner, and education.

Results: In our analytical sample (mean age (81 ± 7.5), 77% female, 16 ± 2.9 years of education a higher MIND diet score was associated with less WMH (β= -0.023, SE=0.009, p=0.015) and lower ARTS score (β= -0.013, SE=0.004, p=0.001) when controlled for age, sex, education, and MRI scanner. The effect estimates were stable when further controlled for BMI and physical activity. The association between the MIND diet score and total brain volume was not significant (β= 0.070, SE=0.041, p=0.08).

Conclusions: Among community-dwelling older adults a higher MIND diet score is associated with less WMH and a lower likelihood of small vessel arteriosclerosis. Lifestyle approaches such as adherence to a specific diet may be an option to help maintain the cerebrovascular health of older adults.

Funding Sources: R01AG054476; R01AG17917; R01AG076143